Prof. Cathy Murphy, University of South Carolina

Joint Physical/Inorganic Seminar Series

Three Short Stories About Gold Nanorods

Our research group has developed synthetic methods to make gold nanorods that are monodisperse in size and shape. The structure-directing agent we use is cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) which forms a bilayer on the gold nanorod surface. In Short Story #1, "Outside and Inside," I will describe experiments in which we coat the outside of the CTAB bilayer to introduce chemical functionality to the nanorods on the outside, and also use the CTAB bilayer to take up hydrophobic molecules from aqueous solution to the inside of the bilayer, which has interesting environmental implications. In Short Story #2, "Cells and Gels," I describe experiments in which we incubate living cells, either in supported on a film or in a collagen gel, with nanorods in order to determine effects on the cells (toxicity, changes in gene expression, etc.). In Short Story #3, "The Estuary," I describe experiments in which we introduce gold nanorods into model coastal ecosystems and measure (by ICP-MS) how the gold is distributed in water, sediment, plants and animals.

For more information contact Dr. Christine Payne (404-385-3125).