Cover publication J. Phys. Chem. featuring diffusion dynamics on nanoparticle surfaces via neutron backscattering

18 July 2024

How do ligand and water molecules diffuse on the surface of nanoparticles? This important question was tackled by neutron scattering and highlighted as the cover publication of the July 18 edition of the Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

Cover publication J. Phys. Chem. featuring diffusion dynamics on nanoparticle surfaces via neutron backscattering
The image shows citrate-capped iron oxide nanoparticles irradiated with neutrons. The change in the color of the beam illustrates the quasielastic neutron scattering process where incoming neutrons exchange energy with the sample. This technique was used to reveal the rotational nature of ligand motion on the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles.
Copyright:
— ACS Publications, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, a journal of the American Chemical Society

Citrate molecules and adsorbed water molecules were studied on the surface of 7 nm sized iron oxide nanoparticles in a comparably dry state of 8 % relative humidity. Neutron backscattering experiments were performed at the neutron research reactor at Institute Laue Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France and complemented by experiments at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia. The researchers showed that surface-bound citrate undergoes a localized rotational motion, while surface water diffuses translationally.

Original publication:

Quasi-Elastic Neutron Scattering of Citrate-Capped Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Distinguishing between Ligand, Water, and Magnetic Dynamics
M. S. Plekhanov, S. L. J. Thomä, A. Magerl, M. Appel, M. Zobel*

J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128, 28, 11661–11671

Last Modified: 12.02.2025