(162a) Using Nanoparticles as Seeds for Nucleating Organic Nanorods

The assembly of nano-objects of various shapes is considered the ultimate step in nanoscale device fabrication. Self-assembly can be used to connect and align nano-objects. However, self-assembly strategies for connecting individual nanoparticles and nanorods are almost nonexistent (an exception being the biotinylated DNA nanorod's connection to strepdavidin-capped nanoparticles via molecular recognition). Furthermore, most studies are focused on inorganic nanocrystals even though organic nanocrystals or hybrid nanostructures are expected to yield unique properties and allow the use of diverse organic chemistry routes. We have discovered a new hybrid nanostructure consisting of a core made of cadmium selenide nanoparticle capped by 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA-CdSe) and nanorod branches made of fatty acid nanocrystals. It is hypothesized that the high curvature and small size of the nanoparticle induce the nucleation and growth of the fatty acid nanorod. The effect of capping agent and fatty acid chain length on the hybrid nanostructure formation will be discussed. The nanostructure is characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering.