Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Gold Nanosheet Having Multilayer Structure under the Polymeric Bulk Condition

Abstract

A novel synthetic approach to ultrathin (< 5 nm) multilayered single crystalline gold nanosheets using amphiphilic comb-like polymer as template was presented. The poly (oxyethylene) containing decyl-tri (oxyethylene) amphiphile as well as the thioether linking group in the side chain was synthesized via polymer analogous reaction. The polymer and the gold precursor, LiAuCl4, were mixed and dried to afford a homogeneous complex. The gold precursors were reduced to gold crystals by photoreduction using long wave UV light (> 350 nm). The gold nanosheets with multilayered structure, where the layer spacing is about 3.6 nm, were obtained after 24 h. The formation of the multilayered nanosheets is due to the layered structure of the gold complex of the polymer and precursor.