mz8b00383_si_001.pdf (1.17 MB)
Crystallization-Driven Two-Dimensional Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic PCL‑b‑PEO Coated Gold Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solution
journal contribution
posted on 2018-08-15, 19:48 authored by Fugui Xu, Pengfei Zhang, Jiacheng Zhang, Chunyang Yu, Deyue Yan, Yiyong MaiThis
Letter reports the first formation of free-standing plasmonic
monolayer nanosheets by the self-assembly of AuNPs without assistance
from a planar interface. The strategy involves the coating of poly(caprolactone)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PCL-b-PEO) diblock
copolymers on AuNPs, followed by two-dimensional (2D) self-assembly
of the resultant amphiphilic AuNPs in aqueous phase. The crystallization
of the PCL blocks, affected by their grafting density and radius of
gyration, drives the formation of the AuNP nanosheets, which undergoes
a growth process of individual micelles to small nanosheets and eventually
to large sheets. Due to the plasmonic coupling of AuNPs in close proximity,
the AuNP nanosheets exhibit near-infrared (NIR) absorption with the
maximum at about 700 nm. This study not only brings a new approach
toward polymer–AuNP hybrid superstructures in solution, but
also provides a new system for fundamental study on 2D self-assembly
of AuNPs.