Substituent effects on the adsorption of dialkyl sulfides on gold nanoparticles.

The adsorption of chloroethyl ethyl sulfide and 2,2'-dichloro ethyl sulfide to gold nanoparticles has been examined in the gas phase using surface-plasmon resonance spectroscopy. The equilibrium constants for the gas-phase adsorption reactions are 14 +/- 4 and 25 +/- 5 atm(-1), respectively. The bond energy of the Au-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide complex is 44 +/- 9 kJ mol(-1). The bond energy of Au-2,2'-dichloro ethyl sulfide is estimated to be 47 kJ mol(-1). Halogenation of the dialkyl side chains is found to have little impact on the chemistry, and only physisorption processes occur, analogous to dialkyl sulfide adsorption on Au surfaces.