Deposition of Ag and Ag-Au nanocrystalline films with tunable conductivity at the water-toluene interface.

Thin films of Au, Ag and Ag-Au alloy nanocrystals extending to areas of several square centimetres are obtained by deposition at the interface of water and toluene. Toluene containing chlorotris(triphenylphosphine)silver(i) and/or chlorotriphenylphosphine gold(i) is reacted with aqueous tetrakishydroxymethylphosphonium chloride to obtain nanocrystalline films adhered to the interfacial region. Alloying was induced by varying the composition of the toluene layer.

Substituent effects on charge transport in films of Au nanocrystals.

Charge transport (CT) in films of arylthiol-capped Au nanocrystals (NCs) exhibits strong substituent effects, with electron-donating substituents markedly decreasing conductivity. Films suited for measurements were obtained by ligand-exchange reactions on AuNCs grown at the water/toluene interface. Detailed analysis suggests the NCs interact with the ligands by resonance rather than inductive effects.