Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.132, No.43, 15151-15153, 2010
Nanopod Formation through Gold Nanoparticle Templated and Catalyzed Cross-linking of Polymers Bearing Pendant Propargyl Ethers
A novel method for synthesizing polymer nanopods from a linear polymer bearing pendant propargyl ether groups, using gold nanoparticles as both the template and the catalyst for the cross-linking reaction, is reported. The transformations involved in the cross-linking process are unprecedented on the surface of a gold particle. A tentative cross-linking mechanism is proposed.