Easy reversible clustering of gold nanoparticles via pH-Induced assembly of PVP-b-PAA copolymer
Abstract
The growing demand of novel hybrid organic/inorganic systems with exciting properties has contributed to an increasing need for simplifying production strategies. Here, we report a simple method to obtain controlled three-dimensional hybrid architectures, in particular hybrid supracolloids (hSC), formed by gold nanoparticles and a double hydrophilic block copolymer, specifically the poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PAA-b-PVP), directly in aqueous medium. The ubiquitous pH-sensitive poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) block initiates the assembly through pH changes, while the poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) block assures the close affinity with the AuNPs. We demonstrate that the formation of hybrid supracolloids (hSC) is the result of the synergetic behavior of the two specific polymeric blocks. Additionally, the entire process shows spontaneous and fast switchability. The nanostructured copolymer behaves like a highly swollen hydrogel and displays a disordered internal structure. The driving force for the association of the copolymer chains is induced by the synergetic effects of the decrease in solubility of the poly(acrylic acid) block and the formation of inter and intra chains hydrogen bonds. These were demonstrated by using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDX). In turn, the AuNPs are randomly spread all over the polymeric matrix, as demonstrated by field emission gun - scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). A correlation analysis reveals the hSC density depends mostly on the initial concentration of AuNPs. These results can inspire the fabrication of more complex structures with multicomponent composition.
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BibTeX
@article{yon2026easy,
title = {{Easy reversible clustering of gold nanoparticles via pH-Induced assembly of PVP-b-PAA copolymer}},
author = {Marjorie Yon and Barbara Lonetti and Stéphane Gineste and Javier Perez and Dominique Goudouneche and Laurent Weingarten and Jean-Daniel Marty and Diana Ciuculescu-Pradines},
journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2024.10.068},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-04829375v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Easy reversible clustering of gold nanoparticles via pH-Induced assembly of PVP-b-PAA copolymer
AU - Marjorie Yon
AU - Barbara Lonetti
AU - Stéphane Gineste
AU - Javier Perez
AU - Dominique Goudouneche
AU - Laurent Weingarten
AU - Jean-Daniel Marty
AU - Diana Ciuculescu-Pradines
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
DO - 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.10.068
UR - https://hal.science/hal-04829375v1
AB - The growing demand of novel hybrid organic/inorganic systems with exciting properties has contributed to an increasing need for simplifying production strategies. Here, we report a simple method to obtain controlled three-dimensional hybrid architectures, in particular hybrid supracolloids (hSC), formed by gold nanoparticles and a double hydrophilic block copolymer, specifically the poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PAA-b-PVP), directly in aqueous medium. The ubiquitous pH-sensitive poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) block initiates the assembly through pH changes, while the poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) block assures the close affinity with the AuNPs. We demonstrate that the formation of hybrid supracolloids (hSC) is the result of the synergetic behavior of the two specific polymeric blocks. Additionally, the entire process shows spontaneous and fast switchability. The nanostructured copolymer behaves like a highly swollen hydrogel and displays a disordered internal structure. The driving force for the association of the copolymer chains is induced by the synergetic effects of the decrease in solubility of the poly(acrylic acid) block and the formation of inter and intra chains hydrogen bonds. These were demonstrated by using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDX). In turn, the AuNPs are randomly spread all over the polymeric matrix, as demonstrated by field emission gun - scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). A correlation analysis reveals the hSC density depends mostly on the initial concentration of AuNPs. These results can inspire the fabrication of more complex structures with multicomponent composition.
SN - 0021-9797
SN - 1095-7103
ER -