title: A general approach for transferring hydrophobic nanocrystals into water.
abstract: Hydrophobic inorganic nanocrystals have been transferred from organic solvent to aqueous solution through a robust and general ligand exchange procedure. Polyelectrolytes such as poly(acrylic acid) and poly(allylamine) are used to replace the original hydrophobic ligands on the surface of nanocrystals at an elevated temperature in a glycol solvent and eventually render the nanocrystals highly water soluble. The physical properties of the nanocrystals, such as superparamagnetism, photocatalytic activity, and photoluminescence, are maintained or improved after ligand exchange.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Tierui
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Yongxing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yadong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010316:Particle Size; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011073:Polyamines; D014867:Water; C063994:polyallylamine; C006903:carbopol 940