Symmetry-broken nanoparticles (NPs) are important building blocks with directional interparticle interaction as a key to access the precise organization of NPs macroscopically. We report a facile, one-pot synthetic approach to prepare high-quality symmetry-broken plasmonic gold NPs (AuNPs). Symmetry-broken patterning is achieved through deficient ligand exchange of isotropic AuNPs with thiol-terminated polystyrene (PS-SH) in the presence of an amphiphilic polymer surfactant. The concentration of PS-SH plays a dominant role in tuning surface patterning and coverage of AuNPs. The formation of asymmetric surface patches arises from the interplay between the conformational entropy of polymer ligands and the interfacial energy between polymer-grafted AuNPs and the solvent. Our method illustrates new paradises to design asymmetric NPs with directional interparticle interactions to access the precise organization of NPs.

中文翻译：

---

通过缺乏配体交换在金纳米粒子上破坏对称斑块

对称破缺的纳米粒子 (NPs) 是重要的组成部分，具有定向粒子间相互作用是宏观上访问 NPs 精确组织的关键。我们报告了一种简便的一锅法合成方法来制备高质量的对称破缺等离子金纳米粒子 (AuNPs)。在两亲聚合物表面活性剂存在下，通过各向同性金纳米粒子与硫醇封端的聚苯乙烯 (PS-SH) 的不足配体交换来实现对称破坏图案。PS-SH 的浓度在调节 AuNPs 的表面图案和覆盖率方面起着主导作用。不对称表面斑块的形成源于聚合物配体的构象熵与聚合物接枝的 AuNPs 和溶剂之间的界面能之间的相互作用。