title: Particle-rod hybrids: growth of arachidic acid molecular rods from capped cadmium selenide nanoparticles.
abstract: This communication describes a spin-coating method to nucleate organic molecular rods of uniform size from an inorganic nanoparticle at a solid surface. The particle-rod hybrid structure spontaneously forms when a film is spin coated from a mixed 2-propanol solution of arachidic acid (AA) and nanoparticles of cadmium selenide capped by mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA-CdSe) on graphite. AFM images show that MUA-CdSe nanoparticles nucleate single crystalline rods of AA with a cross section of a single unit cell of the C-form. The solution-based process potentially allows the precise tuning of the wetting profile of the solution on the surface-attached nanoparticle, which provides the reservoir for the growth of the single crystalline rods. The results suggest that nanoparticles can be regarded as nanoseeds for the nucleation of guest crystals. It should be possible to further functionalize the AA rods by electrostatic complexation with metal or organic ions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA.
authors.forename: Dongzhong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ruomiao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Indika
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arachchige
authors.forename: Guangzhao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Brock
mesh_terms: D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D004537:Eicosanoic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D004537:Eicosanoic Acids; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D006108:Graphite; C058667:cadmium selenide; C094477:arachidic acid