Direct visualization of symmetry breaking during janus nanoparticle formation

Gabriel Loget, Tung C. Lee, Richard W. Taylor, Sumeet Mahajan, Olivia Nicoletti, Samuel T. Jones, Richard J. Coulston, Véronique Lapeyre, Patrick Garrigue, Paul A. Midgley, Oren A. Scherman, Jeremy J. Baumberg, Alexander Kuhn*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The straight-forward synthesis of Janus nanoparticles composed of Ag and AgBr is reported. For their formation, cucurbit[n]uril (CB)-stabilized AgBr nanoparticles are first generated in water by precipitation. Subsequent irradiation with an electron beam transforms a fraction of each AgBr nanoparticle into Ag0, leading to well-defined Janus particles, stabilized by the binding of CB to the surface of both AgBr and Ag0. With the silver ion reduction being triggered by the electron beam, the progress of the transformation can be directly monitored with a transmission electron microscope.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2698-2703
Number of pages6
JournalSmall
Volume8
Issue number17
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Sept 2012

Keywords

  • asymmetric dimers
  • cucurbit[n]urils
  • heterodimer
  • heterojunctions
  • janus particles

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Biomaterials
  • General Chemistry
  • General Materials Science

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