Organization of Hydrophilic Nanoparticles on a Hydrogel Surface and Their Gel-Assisted Transfer to Solid Substrates

Two-dimensional organization of water-soluble nanoparticles, by using a hydrogel (agarose gel) surface as a substrate, is described here. The nanoparticles can be subsequently transferred onto various solid surfaces, a process promoted by the agarose acting as a “molecular glue”. The Figure shows silica nanoparticles transferred to a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface.