Dissymmetric silica nanospheres: a first step to difunctionalized nanomaterials

Abstract

This communication reports the synthesis of silica nanoparticles dissymmetrically decorated by gold nano-clusters, using a gas–liquid interface as a dissym-metrization tool. The effective dissymmetrization of the nanoparticles was clearly observed using transmission electron microscopy. These results suggest that each hemisphere of these nanostructures can be further specifically functionalized, leading to promising nano-materials with specific properties.