title: Thermally reversible self-assembly of nanoparticles via polymer crystallization.
abstract: The directed self-assembly of gold nanoparticles through the crystallization of surface-grafted polyethylene oxide (PEO) in ethanol-water mixtures is described. This process is fully reversible and tunable through either the size of the core or the polymeric coating. Characterization by X-ray scattering and electron microscopy of the self-assembled structures reveals order at the nanoscale, typically not the case for thermoresponsive gold nanoparticles coated with lower or upper critical solution temperature polymers. A further novelty is the result of selective binding of calcium ions to the PEO in the fluid state: a reversible thermoresponsive transition become irreversible.
authors.affiliation: Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland; Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Calum
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kinnear
authors.forename: Sandor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balog
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rothen-Rutishauser
authors.forename: Alke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petri-Fink
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers
keywords: crystallization; gold; nanoparticles; reversible; self-assembly