Thermodynamic profiles at the solvated inorganic-organic interface: the case of gold-thiolate monolayers.

The thermodynamic adsorption profile at a solvated organic-inorganic interface is probed by following the binding and organization of carboxylic acid-terminated alkanethiols of varying chain lengths (C2, C3, and C6) to the surface of gold nanoparticles (NPs) (5.4 ± 0.7, 9.5 ± 0.6, and 19.4 ± 1.1 nm diameter) using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). We discuss the effect of alkyl chain length, temperature, and Au NP size on the energetics at an organic-inorganic interface. ITC allows for the quantification of the adsorption constant, enthalpy of adsorption, entropy of adsorption, and the binding stoichiometry in a single experiment. The thermodynamic parameters support a mechanism of stepwise adsorption of thiols to the surface of Au NPs and secondary ordering of the thiols at the organic-inorganic interface. The adsorption enthalpies are chain-length dependent; enthalpy becomes more exothermic as longer chains are confined, compensating for greater decreases in entropy with increasing chain length. We observe an apparent compensation effect: the negative ΔH is compensated by a negative ΔS as the thiols self-assemble on the Au NP surface. A comparison of the thermodynamic parameters indicates thiol-Au NP association is enthalpy-driven because of the large, exothermic enthalpies accompanied by an unfavorable entropic contribution associated with confinement of alkyl chains, reduced trans-gauche interconversion, and the apparent ordering of solvent molecules around the hydrophobic organic thiols (hydrophobic effect). Understanding the thermodynamics of adsorption at NP surfaces will provide critical insight into the role of ligands in directing size and shape during NP synthesis since thiols are a common ligand choice (i.e., Brust method). The ITC technique is applicable to a larger number of structure-directing ligands and solvent combinations and therefore should become an important tool for understanding reaction mechanisms in nanostructure synthesis.

Micellization of amphiphilic block copolymers in binary and ternary solvent mixtures.

Amphiphilic block copolymers of the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) family (commercially available as Pluronics or Poloxamers) are well-known for self-assembling in water (selective solvent for PEO) into micelles with a PPO-rich core and a hydrated PEO corona. The micellization of two PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers (Pluronic P105: EO(37)PO(56)EO(37) and Pluronic F127: EO(100)PO(65)EO(100)) has been studied in binary mixed solvents consisting of water and one of the following organic solvents: ethanol, glycerol, D(+)-glucose monohydrate, propylene carbonate, or triacetin, and also in ternary mixtures of water with 50/50 wt% ethanol+glycerol or 50/50 wt% ethanol+propylene carbonate. Glycerol, glucose, propylene carbonate and triacetin were found to promote micellization when added to water. Glycerol and glucose interact favorably with water, and reduce the block copolymer critical micelle concentration (cmc) by dehydrating the PEO-PPO interface as well as changing the bulk solvent properties. Propylene carbonate and triacetin act by locating at the PEO-PPO interface and increasing its hydrophobicity. The addition of ethanol to water provides better solvent conditions for the block copolymers compared to plain water, and disfavors the formation of micelles. In the case of ternary solvents consisting of water, ethanol (that prevents micelle formation), and glycerol or propylene carbonate (that favor micelle formation), the observed changes in the cmc are subtle. For Pluronic P105, the cmc increase is greater for ethanol+propylene carbonate (50/50 wt%) than for ethanol+glycerol (50/50 wt%). For Pluronic F127, the cmcs remain the same as in plain water, i.e., the effects of the two organic solvents compensate each other. The difference between the free energy of micellization in plain water and that in solvent mixtures varies linearly with the cosolvent concentration, and collapses into a single line for each solvent mixture type when normalized with the number of the block copolymer PO units (N(PO)), indicating that the micelle core is mainly affected by varying solvent condition for different PEO/PPO ratios.