title: Hydrophilic gold nanoparticles adaptable for hydrophobic solvents.
abstract: Surface ligand molecules enabling gold nanoparticles to disperse in both polar and nonpolar solvents through changes in conformation are presented. Gold nanoparticles coated with alkyl-head-capped PEG derivatives were initially well dispersed in water through exposure of the PEG residue (bent form). When chloroform was added to the aqueous solution of gold nanoparticles, the gold nanoparticles were transferred from an aqueous to a chloroform phase through exposure of the alkyl-head residue (straight form). The conformational change (bent to straight form) of immobilized ligands in response to the polarity of the solvents was supported by NMR analyses and water contact angles.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niikura
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Kuniharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ijiro
mesh_terms: D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D006046:Gold