Tunable Mechanical Properties of Nanoparticle Monolayer Membranes via Ligand Phase Control and Defect Distribution.

ABSTRACT: In this study, the effects of ligand phase, morphology, and temperature on the elastic modulus of free-standing alkanethiol-capped gold nanoparticle membranes are reported. Langmuir films of 2.5 nm gold nanoparticles capped with tetradecanethiol were prepared at temperatures above and below the phase transition temperature (T _m) of the ligand shell and transferred to holey carbon grids (containing 1.2 μm holes) to form free-standing membranes. Force-indentation measurements are used to measure the elastic modulus of the membranes using an atomic force microscope in the temperature range 10-40 °C. These films are compared with membranes of dodecanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles, which do not undergo a ligand order-disorder transition in the temperature range investigated.

SUBMITTER: Raveendran A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6641765 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature