Zn2+-regulated self-sorting and mixing of phosphates and carboxylates on the surface of functionalized gold nanoparticles.
Herein, we describe the self-sorting of phosphate- and carboxylate-containing molecules on the surface of monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles. Self-sorting is driven by selective interactions between the phosphate probe and Zn(2+) complexes in one monolayer; these interactions force the carboxylate probe to move to a second type of nanoparticle. This process effectively separates the probes and causes their localization in well-defined spaces surrounding the nanoparticles. The removal/addition of Zn(2+) metal ions from the system is used to convert the system from an ordered to a disordered state and vice versa. The possibility to control the location and transport of populations of molecules in a complex mixture creates new perspectives for the development of innovative complex catalytic systems that mimic nature.
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova (Italy).
Cristian
C
Pezzato
Paolo
P
Scrimin
Leonard J
LJ
Prins
compartmentalization; gold nanoparticles; self-assembly; self-sorting; supramolecular chemistry