Assembling covalently linked nanocrystals and nanotubes through click chemistry

The click reaction involving the Huisgen 1, 3-cycloaddition reaction between azide and ethynyl groups has been employed to obtain assemblies of nanostructures. The click reaction between gold nanorods capped with azidoalkane- and alkyne-thiols yields chains and complex assemblies, accompanied by a large red shift of the longitudinal surface plasmon band. A similar reaction between CdSe nanocrystals results in a splitting of the photoluminescence band, possibly due to exciton splitting. Carbon nanotubes decorated by covalently linked gold nanoparticles have been obtained through click chemistry.