New nanoparticle designs

2002/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Materialak

They have formed a gradient of gold nanoparticles on a silica surface. This is the first time that a controlled distribution of this type of small particles is performed. It can be considered an important step in the field of materials, structures that, according to scientists, can have multiple applications in electronics, chemistry and life sciences.

This new material has been developed by North Carolina State University. To do this, they have introduced very special organic compounds into a silica surface, molecules with silicon atoms in the form of a headtail. They put the head of these molecules into the silica skin and left the tails outside to do the key work. Nanoparticles have been emitted during the gaseous phase in a vertical position, thus achieving a gradient of nanoparticles, being the highest part of the "populated" skin. The result has been analyzed using the atomic force microscope.

In this type of surface, specific affinity molecules can be trapped with nanoparticles and provoke reactions in them.