A thermogravimetric study of alakanethiolate monolayer-capped gold nanoparticle catalysts

The application of molecularly-capped gold nanoparticles (1-5 nm) in catalysis (e.g., electrocatalytic oxidation of CO and methanol) requires a thorough understanding of the surface composition and structural properties. Gold nanoparticles consisting of metallic or alloy cores and organic encapsulating shells serve as an intriguing model system. One of the challenges for the catalytic application is the ability to manipulate the core and the shell properties in controllable ways. There is a need to understand the relative core-shell composition and the ability to remove the shell component under thermal treatment conditions. In this paper, we report results of a thermogravimetric analysis of the alkanethiolate monolayer-capped gold nanoparticles. This investigation is aimed at enhancing our understanding of the relative core-shell composition and thermal profiles.