title: Polymer-induced synthesis of stable gold and silver nanoparticles and subsequent ligand exchange in water.
abstract: A simple, inexpensive, single-step synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles using poly(allylamine) (PAAm) as a reducing and stabilizing agent is reported. The synthetic process was carried out in aqueous solution, making the method versatile and environmentally friendly. The synthesized polymer-stabilized nanoparticles are stable in water without particle aggregation at room temperature for at least a month. We demonstrate successful ligand exchange on the polymer-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with a variety of omega-functionalized acid-, alcohol-, amine-, and biotin-terminated alkylthiols. The methodologies, including ligand exchange, also are applicable for the generation of finely dispersed silver nanoparticles. The synthesized gold and silver nanoparticles are characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The different ligand-stabilized AuNPs are also analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 1400 East 315 South, Room 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sardar
authors.forename: Jong-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shumaker-Parry