Functionalization of nanostructured surfaces: From the impact on morphological control during synthesis to the effect on colloidal dispersion

Nanoscience has grown in recent decades since the development of nanoparticle synthesis and application. Although many studies have phenomenologically interpreted the formation of particles at the nanometric scale, the evolution of this field of study has focused on controlling the parameters enabling the attainment of desired morphologies and dimensions using ligands on nanoparticle surfaces. Molecules bound to nanostructured surfaces act in morphological control and aggregation processes as surface ligands transfer functional characteristics to nanostructures, which show core differences from that class of material. This study shows recent advances in nanoparticle surface functionalization with ligands either in their synthesis or in subsequent steps to modify nanoparticle surfaces. We also offer a discussion on ligand classification based on Lewis acid‒base properties and their impact on the colloidal stability of nanoparticles, enabling us to analyze the solvent‒ligand interactions that transfer characteristics from the ligand to the nanoparticle, generating flocculated or dispersed colloidal solutions.

Graphical abstract