Facile preparation of transition metal nanoparticles stabilized by well-defined (co)polymers synthesized via aqueous reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization.

Herein we disclose a facile method for the preparation of (co)polymer-stabilized transition metal colloids, via the "grafting-to" approach. The method takes advantage of the fact that (co)polymers synthesized in aqueous media, in a controlled fashion, via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer bear thiocarbonylthio end groups. These are readily reduced to yield (co)polymers with thiol end groups. When the reduction is performed, with NaBH(4), for example, in aqueous media in the presence of an appropriate transition metal species, (co)polymer-stabilized metal nanoparticles are formed in which the size and size distribution are dependent upon the individual transition metals. Colloid formation is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy.