NanoMORALs: Metal Nanoparticles Doped with Organic Molecules

A new class of nanosized metal-organic alloys (MORALs) has been synthesized for the first time. Silver anoparticles doped with Cu(II) and Fe(III) phthalocyanines were thus synthesized in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate SDS). The resulting materials were characterized by means of XRD, SEM, TEM coupled to energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. No leaching of the photoactive dopant species was observed in water or in common organic solvents.