Thiol-protected gold particles smaller than about 3 nm in diameter posses large magnetic moments, which can be observed via SQUID.  These states are thought to arise, in part, from the S-Au-S 'staple' motif that is present at the surface of thiol-protected gold.  This motif is also strongly reminiscent of classic coordination chemistry complexes, and suggests that the nature of this magnetic state should be dependent upon the nature of the attendant ligands.  Here, we demonstrate that the magnetic properties of these gold nanoparticle are, indeed, influenced by the nature of the ligands.  In particular, we demonstrate that the magnetism is dependent upon both the binding mode and the inductive strength of the attached ligands.  We demonstrate these effects via both SQUID and epr, and the connect trends in the magnetism to other observable effects, such as Raman scattering, electronic absorptions, electrical conductivity, and luminescence.

Control over the surface states of gold nanoparticle via the electronic properties of the ligand set

248th National Meeting (2014)

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