Presenter: Ziyin Huang (STAR Scholar 2012) Advisor: Christopher Li, Ph. D.
Inorganic nanoparticle assemblies can enhance the properties and the performance of nanoparticles. Among the different assemblies, nanoparticle dimer formation has the advantage of producing the smallest possible nanoparticle assembly. During this experiment, silica nanoparticle dimers and Iron(II)(III) Oxide magnetic nanoparticle dimers were assembled and studied. The nanoparticles were attached on difunctionalized poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) single crystals formed by self-seeding in n-butanol, and then nanoparticle dimers formed when the polymer single crystals were dissolved and removed in chloroform or in acetone. Silica nanoparticle dimers were manufactured with disilane-functionalized PCL (PCL-disilane) single crystals, and dihydroxy-functionalized PCL (PCL-diol) and dithiol-functionalized PCL (PCL-dithiol) single crystals were used to form Iron(II)(III) Oxide magnetic nanoparticle dimers. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) was used to examine the end-group functionalization of the synthesized PCL-dithiol. The PCL single crystals’ abilities of attaching nanoparticles depend on their crystallinities, sizes and thicknesses which vary with different self-seeding temperatures and crystallization temperatures. The structures of the polymer single crystals were examined with optical microscopy, and the formations of nanoparticle dimers were observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Keywords: nanoparticle, dimer, poly(ε-caprolactone), single crystal
Inorganic nanoparticle assemblies can enhance the properties and the performance of nanoparticles. Among the different assemblies, nanoparticle dimer formation has the advantage of producing the smallest possible nanoparticle assembly. During this experiment, silica nanoparticle dimers and Iron(II)(III) Oxide magnetic nanoparticle dimers were assembled and studied. The nanoparticles were attached on difunctionalized poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) single crystals formed by self-seeding in n-butanol, and then nanoparticle dimers formed when the polymer single crystals were dissolved and removed in chloroform or in acetone. Silica nanoparticle dimers were manufactured with disilane-functionalized PCL (PCL-disilane) single crystals, and dihydroxy-functionalized PCL (PCL-diol) and dithiol-functionalized PCL (PCL-dithiol) single crystals were used to form Iron(II)(III) Oxide magnetic nanoparticle dimers. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) was used to examine the end-group functionalization of the synthesized PCL-dithiol. The PCL single crystals’ abilities of attaching nanoparticles depend on their crystallinities, sizes and thicknesses which vary with different self-seeding temperatures and crystallization temperatures. The structures of the polymer single crystals were examined with optical microscopy, and the formations of nanoparticle dimers were observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Keywords: nanoparticle, dimer, poly(ε-caprolactone), single crystal