Supramolecular organization of nanoparticles

The study of supramolecular structures with nano-architectures has become an active area of research in recent years. They have the potential to generate functional materials with applications in medicine and emerging technologies. In this dissertation, the supramolecular organization of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and other nano-scale structures such as discrete styrene-based polymers was investigated. The synthesis and characterization of metal-mediated AuNPs systems using pendant ligands on the AuNP such as 11-diethylenetriamine-undecane-1-thiol, 11-Mercapto-undecanoic acid [2-(2-amino-ethylamino)-ethyl]-amide, Bis(11-oxo-nicotinic acid, undecine)disulfide, and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, and using Cu(II) to mediate the formation of supramolecular AuNP systems with sizes of 200 nm – 3 µm, are presented. The use of polymers to trap and organize AuNP within polymeric frameworks is discussed. The synthesis and characterization of AuNP embedded within a norborene-based polymeric matrix produced spherical supamolecular AuNP which in the presence of Cu(II) present a morphological change branching out in systems with promising carrier properties. The synthesis and characterization of AuNP-hydrogels using 11-mercapto undecanoic diester with tetraethylene glycol was explored. These hydro gels have the property of encapsulating water and they present solubility in CHCl3, H 2O and Hexanes. Such network makes the first example of AuNP-gels where the AuNP form part of the network. The synthesis and characterization of second-generation AuNP-gels derived from tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate having AuNP embedded in their matrix generates a new AuNP template with high stabilization properties. The effect on the pH was studied. They form discrete supramolecular structures that suitably keep the properties of single AuNP