The “Melting Point” of Alkanethiol-Coated Amorphous Fe2O3 Nanoparticles

The “melting point” of alkanethiol-coated amorphous Fe2O3 nanoparticles is investigated. The dependence of the melting temperature on the alkyl chain length is presented and compared with the results obtained by Luedkte and Landman, who carried out a comprehensive theoretical study on the structure and dynamics of nanocrystalline gold passivated by alkanethiol monolayers. It is shown that molecules coated on a chaotic amorphous structure have a “melting” phenomenon similar to that found on well-organized nanocrystalline materials.