LIQUID-PHASE SYNTHESIS OF THIOL-DERIVATIZED SILVER NANOCRYSTALS

A liquid-phase method is reported for the preparation of dodecanethiol -derivatized silver nanocrystals. Toluene sols of this material mainta in as sols in air at room temperature at least on the timescale of mon ths. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM ) are used to obtain size and structural information about the nanocry stal core while solubility properties and energy dispersive X-ray spec troscopy (EDS) are used to identify the passivating layer. Laser desor ption time-of-flight mass spectra (LDTOFMS) of this material show broa d peaks in the mass range from 40 to 300 kamu, These results are consi stent with the synthesized material being a dodecanethiol-derivatized silver nanocrystal material with a mean crystalline silver core of 3.1 +/- 0.6 nm.