Gold nanoparticles with flexible mesogenic grafting layers

Abstract

Self-organization of gold nanoparticles depends strongly on their organic coating. Lamellar structures were obtained by using double grafting – small Au nanoparticles were covered with n-alkyl thiol molecules and further with monomeric or dimeric type mesogenic molecules. Apart from positional correlations of metallic centres the structures also showed orientational order of mesogenic ligands manifested as optical birefringence.