Open AccessBuilding Reversible Nanoraspberries
Author(s) -
E. Eren,
Mohammad Moradi,
Heiner Friedrich
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.853
H-Index - 488
eISSN - 1530-6992
pISSN - 1530-6984
DOI - 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c05059
Subject(s) - psl , surface charge , nanoparticle , chemical physics , debye length , adsorption , chemical engineering , dynamic light scattering , materials science , polystyrene , nanotechnology , morphology (biology) , scattering , light scattering , chemistry , optics , ion , composite material , physics , polymer , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry , biology , engineering , genetics
The adsorption mechanism of small positively charged silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 NPs) onto larger polystyrene latex nanoparticles (PSL NPs) forming hybrid particles was studied. CryoTEM showed the morphology of these supraparticles to be raspberry-like. After surface modification of the SiO 2 NPs, the optimum pH regime to initiate the formation of nanoraspberries was determined. Thereafter, their size evolution was evaluated by dynamic light scattering for different surface charge densities. Reversibility of nanoraspberry formation was shown by cycling the pH of the mixture to make interparticle forces either attractive or repulsive, while their stability was confirmed experimentally. The number of SiO 2 NPs on the PSL NPs as determined with cryoTEM matched the theoretically expected maximum number. Understanding and controlling the relevant parameters, such as size and charge of the individual particles and the Debye length, will pave the way to better control of the formation of nanoraspberries and higher-order assemblies thereof.