JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS, v.1, no.9, pp.1459 - 1462
Abstract
Nanoparticles functionalized with ionizable ligands can exist in either dispersed or aggregated states at the same value of pH. This bistability and the related hystreresis accompanying pH changes derive from a subtle interplay between electrostatic and van der Waals forces. A theoretical model allows one to control the range of over, which bistability is observed.