Fig. 2 | Nature Communications

Fig. 2

From: Retarding oxidation of copper nanoparticles without electrical isolation and the size dependence of work function

Fig. 2

Exchanging oleylamine ligands on tethered CuNPs with thiolate ligands. a Schematic representation of the ligand exchange process where oleylamine (1) attached to the CuNPs are replaced with incoming thiol ligands. The thiols are; 1-octadecanethiol (2), 2-{2-[2-(2-mercaptoethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}ethanol (3), 1-decanethiol (4), 6-mercaptohexanoic acid (5), 1-octanethiol (6), 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanethiol (7), 1,5-pentanedithiol (8) and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) (9). The CuNPs are tethered onto the substrate with a monolayer of (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). b AFM image (on Si) of tethered 1-octanethiol-capped CuNPs (6), which has undergone soaking in a thiol solution and rinsing with ethanol. c SEM image of oleylamine (1)-capped CuNPs on ITO/Glass. Scale bar 200 nm. d Molecular structures of oleylamine and the thiols used for ligand exchange and capping of CuNPs, sorted according to the chain length and stability (with respect to the surface plasmon resonance peak wavelength change) in air when used as a capping layer for CuNPs. The ligands grouped in boxes have similar stabilities

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