Monday, 17th July 2006 (4685 views)

Japanese scientists have discovered that crystals of organic compounds are the ideal partners for composite materials comprising gold nanoparticles.

The materials are composed of one or two-dimensional arrangements of the tiny gold particles and together with organic crystals could be used to selectively bind other materials.

Kazuki Sada of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan explored the notion that gold nanoparticles do not colonise every part of organic crystals evenly, but rather cover certain areas.

Sada and colleagues used single crystals of the amino acid L-cystine and found that gold nanoparticles would only be deposited on the hexagonal faces. The crystals also have rectangular faces but the particles were not deposited on these.

The researchers were able to record this occurrence because the gold nanoparticles caused a purple coloration on the crystals.

A low density of attractive polar groups was the reason that the particles were not drawn to the rectangular faces.

The technology could be used to selectively bind other materials, as well as make the crystals stack in a certain manner, leading to the formation of defined aggregate structures.

The research was published in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

 

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