Chain-End Functionalized Polymers for the Controlled Synthesis of Sub-2 nm Particles

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c02244
• Publication Date: 2020-04-13T13:30:36Z
• Authors: Peng-Cheng Chen; Yuan Liu; Jingshan S. Du; Brian Meckes; Vinayak P. Dravid; Chad A. Mirkin
• Keywords: Nanoreactor; Nanomaterials

A novel method for synthesizing arrays of uniform sub-2 nm particles on substrates is described. Such are made by (i) using dip-pen nanolithography to prepare nanoreactors consisting metal-coordinated polymers; (ii) designing polymers with only one metal atom attached each polymer chain; (iii) systematically controlling nanoreactor volume down the yoctoliter scale; and (iv) transforming into a nanoparticle through thermal annealing. Polymer design in this study crucial, since it allows tightly control size tuning reactors, which correlates number chains and, therefore, atoms. Mixtures different metal-functionalized were used synthesize ultrasmall alloy particles. The technique results described herein point toward way these explore properties uses important class nanomaterials many fields.