ESR Spectroscopy as a tool to Investigate the Properties of Self-Assembled Monolayers Protecting Gold Nanoparticles

The work reported within this article demonstrates how ESR spectroscopy provides considerable information on the properties of the monolayer that are difficult to obtain with more common techniques. It is expected that this technique will significantly improve the ability to study monolayer-protected nanoparticles in greater detail.

Abstract

Electron spin resonance (ESR) has emerged as a powerful spectroscopic technique to study the
properties of metal nanoparticles (NPs) protected by a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of organic
molecules. This technique has been employed to explore the capacity of homoligand monolayers to
bind to a hydrophobic probe or to ‘‘sense’’ the hydrophobicity of mixed-ligand monolayers. Moreover,
spin labels anchored to the metal surface enable the investigation of the dynamic of the ligands that
form the monolayer. Here we review these applications with the aim of unravelling the many features
of monolayer-protected metal NPs.

The article is published online within the Royal Society of Chemistry journal, Nanoscale and is free to access.