Exploring the amphiphilicity of PEGylated gold nanorods: mechanical phase transfer and self-assembly

We introduce a mechanical approach to phase transfer of PEGylated gold nanorods. Amphiphilic PEG ligands can be switched between hydrophilic and hydrophobic states by applying mechanical force. PEG-GNRs in their hydrophobic state self-assemble into rings, a phenomenon previously observed only for GNRs capped with hydrophobic ligands.