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Abstract
A reverse microemulsion method is reported for preparing monodispersed silica-coated
gold (or silver) nanoparticles without the use of a silane coupling agent or polymer
as the surface primer. This method enables a fine control of the silica shell thickness
with nanometer precision. As compared to the Stöber method reported for direct silica
coating, which can only coat large gold particles ( approximately 50 nm in diameter)
at low concentrations (<1.5 x 10(10) particles/mL), this new approach is capable of
coating gold particles of a wide range of sizes (from 10 to 50 nm) at a much higher
concentration ( approximately 1.5 x 10(13) particles/mL). Moreover, it enables straightforward
surface functionalization via co-condensation between tetraethyl orthosilicate and
another silane with the desired functional groups. The functional groups introduced
by this method are readily accessible and thus useful for various applications.