title: Measurement of Nanoparticle Adlayer Properties by Photothermal Microscopy.
abstract: Many nanoparticle applications require molecular adlayers that impart desirable interfacial characteristics. Such characteristics are crucial in controlling the interaction of the nanoparticle with the environment or other nanoparticles; however, departures from bulk values are expected for adlayer properties and in situ methods to evaluate the magnitude of these departures, preferably on the scale of a single nanoparticle, are needed. Here we investigate the potential of single-particle photothermal microscopy for measuring the thermal properties of nanoparticle-supported, layer-by-layer grown polyelectrolytes. We show that nanometer changes in adlayer thickness can be detected this way, and the water content of the nanoparticle-supported adlayers can be estimated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States.
authors.forename: Eun Sohl
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States.
authors.forename: Irina B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Tsvetkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States.
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dragnea
keywords: adlayers; in singulo imaging; nanoparticles; photothermal; polyelectrolyte hydration