Controlling the two-dimensional adhesion and organization of colloidal gold nanoparticles

Binary heterogeneous surfaces composed of nanoscale hydrophilic and hydroph obic domains were used to control the aggregation morphology of gold nanopa rticles from a colloidal suspension. By adjusting the nature and electron d onating- accepting properties of the hydrophilic surface phase, the aggrega tion morphology could be varied from two-dimensional close-packed arrays or isolated clusters at homogeneous surfaces to interconnected networks of we ll-defined topologies at binary surfaces. These results provide a simple an d flexible way toward the controlled fabrication of two-dimensional arrays of colloidal nanoparticles. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.