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Development of Experiment and Theory to Detect and Predict Ligand Phase Separation on Silver Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Farrell Zachary,
Merz Steve,
Seager Jon,
Dunn Caroline,
Egorov Sergei,
Green David L.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201500906
Subject(s) - ligand (biochemistry) , monolayer , chemistry , chemical physics , phase (matter) , nanoparticle , mixing (physics) , mass spectrometry , materials science , nanotechnology , chromatography , physics , biochemistry , receptor , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
MALDI mass‐spectrometry measurements are combined with self‐consistent mean‐field (SCF) calculations to detect and predict ligand phase separation on Ag nanoparticles. The experimental and theoretical techniques complement each other by enabling quantification of the nearest‐neighbor distribution of a ligand mixture in a monolayer shell. By tracking a characteristic metallic fragment family, analysis of a MALDI spectrum produces a frequency distribution corresponding to specific ligand patterning. Inherent to the SCF calculation is the enumeration of local interactions that dictate ligand assembly. Interweaving MALDI and SCF facilitates a comparison between the experimentally and theoretically derived frequency distributions as well as their deviation from a well‐mixed state. Thus, we combine these techniques to detect and predict phase separation in monolayers that mix uniformly or experience varying degrees of de‐mixing, including microphase separation and stripe formation. Definition of MALDI removed as this is a commonly recognized technique.