Synthesis of chiral plasmonic nanorods via regulating seed- chiral ligand interactions and their application in Ag+-enhanced photochemical oxidation of 4-aminothiophenol
Pre-incubating seeds with chiral ligands significantly enhancing chiral growth
image: Schematics illustrating that regulating seed-chiral ligand interactions improves chiral growth. The resulting chiral plasmonic nanorods (CPNRs) demonstrate Ag+-enhanced photochemical oxidation of 4-aminothiophenol.
Credit: Nano Research, Tsinghua University Press
Chiral seeded growth, an extension of seed-mediated growth that incorporates chiral ligands, has emerged as a robust method for synthesizing chiral plasmonic nanoparticles. However, the control over symmetry breaking during chiral growth remains poorly understood. In a study published in Nano Research, a team from China sought to regulate the initial symmetry breaking by introducing a seed-chiral ligand pre-incubation step into conventional chiral seeded growth methods.
Using achiral gold nanorods (AuNRs) as seeds and cysteine (Cys) as the chiral ligand, the team introduced a pre-incubation step to regulate the initial symmetry breaking of the AuNR seed surface by Cys. The results indicated that a small amount of Cys on the nanorod surface plays a critical role in initiating chiral growth, which can be fine-tuned by adjusting incubation parameters. Leveraging the large surface area and strong local field enhancement of the resulting chiral plasmonic nanorods, the team investigated Ag+-enhanced formation of 4,4’-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) via plasmon-mediated oxidative coupling of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) and proposed a new Ag+-enhancement mechanism. Silver ions complex with the amino groups of adsorbed 4-ATP molecules, bringing two 4-ATP molecules into a favorable reaction configuration and thereby promoting the coupling reaction. The work not only reveals a new mechanism for Ag+-enhanced oxidative dimerization of 4-ATP but also highlights the crucial role of reactant configuration in on-surface reactions.
“In the commonly employed chiral seeded growth approach, achiral seeds are directly introduced into a growth solution containing chiral ligands to induce chiral growth. However, due to the complex growth kinetics involved, achieving control over symmetry breaking remains challenging.” explained Prof. Xiaochun Wu, a corresponding author of the study from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology. “To circumvent this complexity, the team shifted their focus to the initial symmetry breaking of seeds before the chiral growth.”
By introducing a pre-incubation step involving seeds and chiral ligands, the team regulated the spatial distribution and surface coverage of chiral ligands on seed surface. Using pre-incubated seeds, the team realized significantly enhanced chiral growth. This study enriches chiral seeded growth methods.
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 22072032) and the National Key Basic Research Program of China (2021YFA1202803).
The paper, “Synthesis of chiral plasmonic nanorods via regulating seed- chiral ligand interactions and their application in Ag+-enhanced photochemical oxidation of 4-aminothiophenol”, was published in Nano Research on September 3rd, 2025.
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.