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Free PhD position starting November 2016
Deadline for admission: 16 June 2016, 1:00 pm
Topic: DESIGN OF MONOLAYER PROTECTED GOLD NANOPARTICLES
FOR CONTROLLED SELF-ASSEMBLY
Supervision: Lucia Pasquato
and Paolo Pengo, Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University
of Trieste, e-mail: lpasquato@units.it,
ppengo@units.it
Directed
self-assembly of nanometer-sized materials into ordered arrays are the most
widely studied targets of current research. The bottom-up approach for the
fabrication of functional materials is very attractive since it utilizes small and rather simple building
blocks that will self-assemble into larger, more complex nanostructures. For
these approaches, (bio)chemists are inspired by Mother Nature, who uses a large
variety of covalent and non-covalent interaction mechanisms. In this context we
are interested in developing new protocols to self-assemble anisotropic hybrid
organic-inorganic nanoparticles with a control over the assembly process to
give rise to well defined architectures. The project foresees the design and
synthesis of anisotropic gold nanoparticles, their modification with selected
functional groups and/or functional building blocks and the study of their
self-assembling process driven by different conditions. A variety of techniques
will be used to characterize the final material and to investigate their
optical and electronic properties.
References
Y. Kim, R. J. Macfarlane, M. R. Jones, C.
A. Mirkin Science 2016, 351, 579.
W. Liu, M. Tagawa, H. L. Xin, T. Wang, H. Emamy,
H. Li, K. G. Yager, F. W. Starr, A. V. Tkachenko, O. Gang Science 2016, 351, 582.
A. Winter , M. D. Hager , G. R. Newkome,
U. S. Schubert Adv. Mater. 2011 , 23, 5728.
M.
Şologan, C. Cantarutti, S. Bidoggia, S. Polizzi, P. Pengo, L. Pasquato Faraday
Discussion 2016, DOI: 10.1039/C6FD00016A.
On
going projects
Gold nanoparticles protected by fluorinated ligands
The development of fluorinated gold
nanoparticles is presently arising and increasing attention across several
fields of nanotechnology. The synthetic approaches evolved over time from the
use of almost perfluorinated alkanethiols and perfluorinated arylthiols to
amphiphilic fluorinated thiols capable of ensuring solubility in conventional
organic solvents and water. The interest in these systems stems from the unique
properties of both nanosized and fluorous compounds. In perspective, the
development of our understanding of the fluorophilic interactions at the
nanoscale will allow to devise novel strategies for self-assembly, molecular
recognition and new materials for biomedical applications.
“Routes to the
preparation of mixed monolayers of fluorinated and hydrogenated alkanetiolates
grafted on the surface of gold nanoparticles”. M.
Şologan, C. Cantarutti, S. Bidoggia, S. Polizzi, P. Pengo, L. Pasquato Faraday Discussion 2016, DOI: 10.1039/C6FD00016A.
“Gold
Nanoparticles Protected by Fluorinated Ligands: Syntheses, Properties and
Applications”. P. Pengo, L. Pasquato, J.
Fluorine Chemistry, 2015, 177,
2-10.
“Gold
nanoparticles as drug carriers: a contribution to the quest of basic principles
for monolayer design”. M. Boccalon, S. Bidoggia, F. Romano, L. Gualandi, P. Franchi, M. Lucarini, P. Pengo, L.
Pasquato, J. Mater. Chem. B. 2015, 3 (3), 432 – 439.
"Self-organization
of mixtures of fluorocarbon- and hydrocarbon amphiphilic thiolates on the
surface of gold nanoparticles”. P.
Posocco, C. Gentilini, S. Bidoggia, A. Pace, P. Franchi, M. Lucarini, M.
Fermeglia, S. Pricl, L. Pasquato, ACS
Nano 2012, 6, 7243-7253.
"Formation
of patches in 3D monolayers driven by thiols with immiscible chains revealed by
ESR spectroscopy". C.
Gentilini, P. Franchi, E. Mileo, S. Polizzi, M. Lucarini, L. Pasquato, Angew. Chem.
Int. Ed. 2009, 47, 3060-3064.
"Water-soluble
gold nanoparticles protected by fluorinated amphiphilic thiolates". C. Gentilini, F. Evangelista, P. Rudolf, P.
Franchi, M. Lucarini, L. Pasquato, J. Am.
Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 15678-15682.
Functional
nanoparticles for biomedical applications
“Gold
nanoparticles as drug carriers: a contribution to the quest of basic principles
for monolayer design”. M. Boccalon, S. Bidoggia, F. Romano, L. Gualandi, P. Franchi, M. Lucarini, P. Pengo, L.
Pasquato, J. Mater. Chem. B. 2015, 3, 432 – 439.
“Gold nanoparticles
protected by fluorinated ligands for 19F MRI”. M. Boccalon, P. Franchi, M. Lucarini, J. J. Delgado, F. Sousa, F.
Stellacci, I. Zucca, A. Scotti, R. Spreafico, P. Pengo, L. Pasquato, Chem. Commun. 2013, 49, 8794-8796.
“Multivalent
Presentation of a Hydrolytically Stable GM3 Lactone Mimetic as
Modulator of Melanoma Cells Motility and Adhesion”. B. Richichi, G. Comito, L. Cerofolini, G. Gabrielli, A. Marra, L. Moni,
A. Pace, L. Pasquato, P. Chiarugi, A. Dondoni, L. Toma, C. Nativi, Bioor. Med. Chem. 2013, 21, 2756-2763.
Chemistry of gold clusters
“Differential
reactivity of the inner and outer positions of Au25(SCH2CH2Ph)18
dimeric staples under place exchange conditions”. P. Pengo, C. Bazzo, M. Boccalon, L. Pasquato, Chem. Commun. 2015, 2015, 51, 3204 – 3207.
Gold nanoparticles as catalysts for
oxidation processe
“Active
and stable embedded Au@CeO2 catalysts for preferential oxidation of
CO.” M. Cargnello, C. Gentilini, T. Montini, E. Fonda, S. Mehraeen, M. Chi, M.
Herrera-Collado, N. D. Browning, L. Pasquato, P. Fornasiero Chem. Mater. 2010, 22, 4335-4345.
"Monolayer
protected gold nanoparticles on ceria for an efficient CO oxidation
catalyst". N.
Hickey, P. A. Larochette, C. Gentilini, L. Sordelli, L. Olivi, S.
Polizzi, T. Montini, P. Fornasiero, L. Pasquato, M. Graziani, Chem. Mater., 2007, 19, 650-651.
Application of functional
nanoparticles as enzyme models
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"Functional Gold Nanoparticles for Recognition and Catalysis"
(Feature Article). L. Pasquato, P. Pengo, P. Scrimin, J.
Mater. Chem.,
2004, 14, 3481-3487.
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"Biological
and Biomimetic Applications of Nanoparticles." L.
Pasquato, P. Pengo, P. Scrimin in “Nanoparticles:
Building Blocks for Nanotechnology”, Ed. V. M. Rotello,
Kluwer, Ch. 10, 2003, p.251-282.
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Metal nanoparticles of different size
and shapes (Prisma 2004)
Metal Nanoparticles in hybrid
materials
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