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A chemical approach to accurately characterize the coverage rate of gold nanoparticles

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Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely used in many areas, and the nanoparticles usually have to be functionalized with some molecules before use. However, the information about the characterization of the functionalization of the nanoparticles is still limited or unclear, which has greatly restricted the better functionalization and application of AuNPs. Here, we propose a chemical way to accurately characterize the functionalization of AuNPs. Unlike the traditional physical methods, this method, which is based on the catalytic property of AuNPs, may give accurate coverage rate and some derivative information about the functionalization of the nanoparticles with different kinds of molecules. The performance of the characterization has been approved by adopting three independent molecules to functionalize AuNPs, including both covalent and non-covalent functionalization. Some interesting results are thereby obtained, and some are the first time to be revealed. The method may also be further developed as a useful tool for the characterization of a solid surface.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 20925520), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61001035, 21235003), the “Chen Guang” project of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Shanghai Education Development Foundation (No. 10CG42), the Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (No. 12YZ004), and the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (Grant No. 11DZ2272100).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biosensing Technology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

    Xiaoli Zhu, Min Liu, Huihui Zhang & Genxi Li

  2. State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Haiyan Wang & Genxi Li

Authors
  1. Xiaoli Zhu
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  2. Min Liu
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  3. Huihui Zhang
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  4. Haiyan Wang
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  5. Genxi Li
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Correspondence to Genxi Li.

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Zhu, X., Liu, M., Zhang, H. et al. A chemical approach to accurately characterize the coverage rate of gold nanoparticles. J Nanopart Res 15, 1900 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1900-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1900-2

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