Comparative study of alkylthiols and alkylamines for the phase transfer of gold nanoparticles from an aqueous phase to n-hexane

► A ligand-assisted phase transfer was used to transfer Au-NPs from an aqueous solution to n-hexane. ► 1-Dodecanethiol (DDT) was the most efficient ligand with the highest transfer efficiency (>96%). ► DDT-assisted phase transfer can preserve the shape and size of Au-NPs during the phase transfer. ► The transfer efficiency is dependent on the molar ratio of ligand to Au-NPs. ► The transfer index is a parameter to evaluate the transfer efficiency.