Thermosensitive unimolecular micelles surface-decorated with gold nanoparticles of tunable spatial distribution

Gold nanoparticles were covalently conjugated onto the surface of thiol-functionalized thermosensitive unimolecular micelles to fabricate novel satellite-like nanostructures. The resultant nanostructures consist of gold nanoparticles distributed across the surface of isolated unimolecular micelles. Because of the covalent linkage between surface thiol groups and gold nanoparticles, this novel type of hybrid nanostructure was highly stable. Most importantly, the unimolecular micelle templates were thermosensitive and can reversibly swell and shrink in response to external temperatures. This made it possible to finely tune the spatial distances between gold nanoparticles attached at the micelle surface. Therefore, this approach can be extended toward the fabrication of novel nanomaterials with sophisticated structures and tunable multifunctionalities.