title: Dipole-dipole interactions in spin-labeled au nanoparticles as a measure of interspin distances.
abstract: A series of Au nanoparticles modified with a nitroxide-functionalized ligand was prepared with a range of spin-label coverage. The X-band EPR spectra of frozen solutions of these nanoparticles showed coverage-dependent line-broadening due to dipole-dipole interactions between spin labels. We developed a methodology to analyze such spectra in terms of geometrical features of the nanoparticles (e.g., Au core size and the length of the spin-labeled ligand). Our method is based on the assumption that the spectral line shape is determined by the average distance between nearest-neighboring spin labels adsorbed on the Au particle. Geometrical and statistical analysis then relates this distance to the line shape parameter d1/d, which was calibrated using a model system. Application of this methodology to the experimental spectra provided information about the conformation of ligands on the Au surface. We found that, if the spin-labeled ligand is substantially longer than the surrounding protecting layer, it does not adopt a fully stretched conformation but wraps around the particle immediately above the layer of surrounding ligand. Our results also show that the ligands do not adsorb cooperatively on the Au surface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Petre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ionita
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caragheorgheopol
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chechik