Stabilization of Apolar Nanoparticle Dispersions by Molecular Additives.

We study the effect of additives on the colloidal stability of alkanethiol-coated gold nanoparticles. Cyclic amines and sulfides of different sizes were added to dispersions in decane at additive concentrations below 128 mM. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) indicated that tetrahydrothiophene reduced the agglomeration temperature, , by up to 29 °C, a considerable increase in colloidal stability.