Two-dimensional array of nanoparticles intermitted by long chain molecules

Abstract

It is an important theme in nanoscience to control the interval of the ordered array of nanoparticles through modifying the chain length of the passivating molecules of the nanoparticles. The theme runs through most of the applications of the ordered array of nanoparticles. Though the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique is one of the most important ways to prepare the twodimensional ordered array of nanoparticles, it has only been used in case that the passivating molecules are short enough (<Cl2). When the passivating molecules become longer, it is difficult to obtain the ordered array of the particles simply by compressing them on the surface of water. The present work focused on the formation of the two-dimensional array of the octadecylamine-passivated gold nanoparticles at the airlwater interface. By properly modifying the ordinary LB technique, the long-term two-dimensional ordered array of nanoparticles was successfully achieved. The surface pressure-area isotherms and the electron microscopy observation showed that the key to preparing the two-dimensional ordered arrangement of nanoparticles is to overcome the interaction among the passivant shells.