Temperature and ligand effects on electronic conductivity in solid-state films of alkanethiolated silver nanoparticles

Hexanethiolated silver nanoparticles were initially prepared via a modified Brust-Schriffin method. Additional alkanethiolated silver nanoparticles were prepared via solution phase ligand replacement reactions using hexanethiolated silver nanoparticles and all similar form straight chain alkanethiol compounds from 1-heptanethiol to 1-dodecanethiol. The average silver nanoparticle core size of these silver nanoparticles was determined to be 4.58 nm via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). An extinction coefficient of 33.272 mg*mL-1*cm-1 was found for hexanethiolated silver nanoparticles in dichloromethane.