Nanoparticle chains and Preparation Thereof

Abstract

Fabrication and arrangement of nanoparticles into one-dimensional linear chains is achieved by successive chemical reactions, each reaction adding one or more nanoparticles by building onto exposed, unprotected linker functionalities. Optionally, protecting groups may be used to control and organize growth. Nanoparticle spheres are functionalized in a controlled manner in order to enable covalent linkages. Functionalization of nanoparticles is accomplished by either ligand exchange or chemical modification of the terminal functional groups of the capping ligand. Nanoparticle chains are obtained by a variety of connectivity modes such as direct coupling, use of linker molecules, and use of linear polymeric templates. In particular, a versatile building block system is obtained through controlled monofunctionalization of nanoparticles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for synthesizing nanoparticle linker ligand building blocks for use in creating a multiple-nanoparticle assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of nanoparticles;   providing a plurality of ligands;   providing a plurality of linker moieties,
 wherein at least some of the ligands are wrapping ligands that can wrap around at least part of a nanoparticle or at least some of the linker moieties are wrapping linker moieties; and 
   reacting the nanoparticles, the ligands, and the linker moieties to form a plurality of nanoparticle linker ligand building blocks,
 wherein each nanoparticle linker ligand building block comprises a nanoparticle attached to at least one ligand, with each ligand having at least one linker arm, and 
 wherein the rigidity of the wrapping ligands and wrapping linker moieties permits control and stabilization of the size and linker geometry of the nanoparticle linker ligand building blocks. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of creating a multiple-nanoparticle assembly by reacting at least one ligand linker arm of a nanoparticle linker ligand building block with a linker arm of a ligand attached to another nanoparticle linker ligand building block, thereby forming an assembly of multiple nanoparticles joined by the ligands. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of reacting at least one ligand linker arm of a nanoparticle linker ligand building block is initiated by removing at least one protective group wrapping at least one of the nanoparticles. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of reacting the nanoparticles, the ligand precursors, and the linker moieties is initiated by removing at least one protective group wrapping at least one of the nanoparticles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of performing additional reactions in a step-wise manner until nanoparticle linker ligand building blocks of a desired size and configuration are obtained. 
     
     
         6 . A nanoparticle linker ligand building block synthesized according to the method of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . The nanoparticle linker ligand building block of  claim 6 , wherein the nanoparticle linker ligand building block takes the form of a nanoparticle chain. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of performing additional linker arm reactions in a step-wise manner until a multiple-nanoparticle assembly of desired size and structure is obtained. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the multiple-nanoparticle assembly is a nanoparticle chain. 
     
     
         10 . A multiple-nanoparticle assembly synthesized by the method of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         11 . The multiple-nanoparticle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the multiple-nanoparticle assembly is a nanoparticle chain. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one ligand comprises a reactive chemical moiety. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have stabilizing ligands, the ligands are linker ligands, and the step of reacting comprises place-exchange reactions whereby at least some of the linker ligands replace at least some of the stabilizing ligands. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein there are at least two ligands on each nanoparticle linker ligand building block in order to control the orientations of the linker moieties.