Date Approved

2011

Degree Type

Campus Only Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Chemistry

Committee Member

Dr. Timothy Brewer, PhD

Committee Member

Dr. Maria Milletti, PhD

Committee Member

Dr. Deborah Heyl-Clegg, PhD

Abstract

Silver and gold alloy nanoparticles were synthesized using starch as the protective agent and glucose as the mild reducing agent. The absorbance spectra of Au/Ag alloy nanoparticles showed that the glucose system resulted in the formation of stable nanoparticles. The present study investigates the effect of various sizes of gold (Au), silver (Ag), and an alloy mixture of silver and gold (Ag/Au) nanoparticles on the fluorescence properties of the fluorescent dye, tris (2, 2’ – bipyridine) ruthenium (II) [Ru(bpy)3]+2. The dye showed fluorescence quenching by the gold, silver, and alloy nanoparticles. This extent of quenching, which is most pronounced in the alloys, can be attributed to the electron transfer between the nanoparticles and the Ru (II) complex.

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