A method for providing an anhydrous route for the synthesis of amine capped coinage-metal
(copper, silver, and gold) nanoparticles (NPs) using the coinage-metal mesityl
(mesityl=C6H2(CH3)3-2,4,6) derivatives.
In this method, a solution of (Cu(C6H2(CH3)3)5,
(Ag(C6H2(CH3)3)4, or (Au(C6H2(CH3)3)5
is dissolved in a coordinating solvent, such as a primary, secondary, or tertiary
amine; primary, secondary, or tertiary phosphine, or alkyl thiol, to produce a
mesityl precursor solution. This solution is subsequently injected into an organic
solvent that is heated to a temperature greater than approximately 100 C.
After washing with an organic solvent, such as an alcohol (including methanol,
ethanol, propanol, and higher molecular-weight alcohols), oxide free coinage NP
are prepared that could be extracted with a solvent, such as an aromatic solvent
(including, for example, toluene, benzene, and pyridine) or an alkane (including,
for example, pentane, hexane, and heptane). Characterization by UV-Vis spectroscopy
and transmission electron microscopy showed that the NPs were approximately 9.22.3
nm in size for Cu, (no surface oxide present), approximately 8.51.1
nm Ag spheres, and approximately 8-80 nm for Au.
