title: Nanoparticle adsorption at liquid-vapor surfaces: influence of nanoparticle thermodynamics, wettability, and line tension.
abstract: We developed a statistical mechanical theory that describes the adsorption of nanoparticles (NPs) at liquid-vapor surfaces. This theory accounts for the surface to bulk NP thermodynamic equilibrium, as well as the NP mechanical equilibrium, wettability, and line tension at liquid-vapor surfaces. The theory is tested by examining the adsorption of 5 nm diameter dodecanethiol-ligated gold NPs at the liquid-vapor surface of a homologous series of n-alkane solvents, from n-nonane to n-octadecane, where the NP wettability decreases with an increasing n-alkane chain length.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States.
authors.forename: Haeng Sub
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wi
authors.forename: Sreeram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cingarapu
authors.forename: Ken J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Klabunde
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Law
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D006046:Gold