Photochemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles in latexes

Gold nanoparticles in aqueous dispersions of 100-nm polystyrene microspheres were prepared by photochemical synthesis under exposure to monochromatic light with an excitation wavelength of 254 nm. The kinetic relationships in formation of gold nanoparticles were examined in relation to the H[AuCl₄] and polymer concentration in the photolyte.     

Photochemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles in N,N′-dimethylformamide via thiourea-derivatized polyoxometalate

In the present work, we report the photochemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles in N,N′-dimethylformamide by addition of a photocatalyst like thiourea-modified polyoxometalate (γ-SiW₁₂O₄₀). The polyoxometalate behaves as an electron relay. Reduction of the polyoxometalate takes place under UV irradiation followed by a transfer of electrons to the gold ions, leading to the formation of gold nanoparticles. The formation of the gold particles was monitored with time by UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The polyoxometalate also acts as a stabilizing agent and helps in controlling the size of the nanoparticles. The shape and size distribution was obtained from transmission electron microscopy studies. Spherical and monodisperse gold nanoparticles of ~10 nm size were obtained.     

In situ formation and size control of gold nanoparticles into chitosan for nanocomposite surfaces with tailored wettability

The in situ formation of gold nanoparticles into the natural polymer chitosan is described upon pulsed laser irradiation. In particular, hydrogel-type films of chitosan get loaded with the gold precursor, chloroauric acid salt (HAuCl(4)), by immersion in its aqueous solution. After the irradiation of this system with increasing number of ultraviolet laser pulses, we observe the formation of gold nanoparticles with increasing density and decreasing size. Analytical studies using absorption measurements, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the nanocomposite samples throughout the irradiation procedure reveal that under the specific irradiation conditions there are two competing mechanisms responsible for the nanoparticles production: the photoreduction of the precursor responsible for the rising growth of gold particles with increasing size and the subsequent photofragmentation of these particles into smaller ones. The described method allows the localized formation of gold nanoparticles into specific areas of the polymeric films, expanding its potential applications due to its patterning capability. The size and density control of the gold nanoparticles, obtained by the accurate increase of the laser irradiation time, is accompanied by the simultaneously controlled increase of the wettability of the obtained gold nanocomposite surfaces. The capability of tailoring the hydrophilicity of nanocomposite materials based on natural polymer and biocompatible gold nanoparticles provides new potentialities in microfluidics or lab on chip devices for blood analysis or drugs transport, as well as in scaffold development for preferential cells growth.     

The green synthesis of fine particles of gold using an aqueous extract of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Monotheca buxifolia</Emphasis> (Flac.)

This study deals with the synthesis and physicochemical investigation of gold nanoparticles using an aqueous extract of Monotheca buxifolia (Flac.). On the treatment of aqueous solution of tetrachloroauric acid with the plant extract, gold nanoparticles were rapidly fabricated. The synthesized particles were characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The formation of AuNPs was confirmed by noting the change in color through visual observations as well as via UV–Vis spectroscopy. UV?Vis spectrum of the aqueous medium containing gold nanoparticles showed an absorption peak at around 540 nm. FTIR was used to identify the chemical composition of gold nanoparticles and Au-capped plant extract. The presence of elemental gold was also confirmed through EDX analysis. SEM analysis of the gold nanoparticles showed that they have a uniform spherical shape with an average size in the range of 70–78 nm. This green system showed to be better capping and stabilizing agent for the fine particles. Further, the antioxidant activity of Monotheca buxifolia (Flac.) extract and Au-capped with the plant extract was also evaluated using FeCl₃/K₃[Fe(CN)]₆ in vitro assay.     

Aqueous Synthesis of Triphenylphosphine-Modified Gold Nanoparticles for Synergistic In Vitro and In Vivo Photothermal Chemotherapy

Triphenylphosphine (TPP) surface-functionalized and F-108 Pluronic-stabilized gold nanoparticles (F-108@TPP-AuNPs) have been synthesized through a one-step approach, leading to well-defined (9.6±1.6 nm) and water-soluble nanoparticles by microwave heating an aqueous solution of TPP-Au^ICl in the presence of a Pluronic polymer under basic conditions. TPP release was negligible under physiological conditions, but enhanced significantly at an acidic pH (5.4) mimicking that of a cancer cell. Laser irradiation (532 nm) raised the temperature of an aqueous solution of F-108@TPP-AuNPs to 51.7 °C within 5 min, confirming efficient light-to-heat conversion capabilities without significant photodegradation. TEM confirmed intracellular localization of F-108@TPP-AuNPs in the cytosol, endosomes and lysosomes of HeLa cells. F-108@TPP-AuNPs were well tolerated by HeLa cells and zebrafish embryos at ambient temperatures and became toxic upon heat activation, suggesting synergistic interactions between heat and cytotoxic action by TPP.     

Gold nanoparticles fabricated by pulsed laser ablation in supercritical CO2

Nanosecond pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of gold plate with an excitation wavelength of 532?nm was carried out in supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) to fabricate gold nanoparticles. Surface morphology of the gold plate after irradiation and the crater depth after PLA were observed by scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning microscopy, while extinction spectra of gold nanoparticles collected in the glass slide was measured by UV?CVis spectrophotometer. The gold plate was ablated at various scCO₂ densities and irradiation times at constant temperature of 40??C. The ablation was also conducted at atmospheric condition with air to evaluate the environmental dependence of ablation. Both surface morphology of the irradiated gold plate and crater depth formation were significantly affected by the changes in scCO₂ density, the surrounding environment, and irradiation time. As expected, the increasing scCO₂ density resulted in a deeper ablation crater, however, the deepest crater was obtained at a density of 0.63?g/cm³ or pressure of 10?MPa. Gold nanoparticles generated by PLA in scCO₂ have been confirmed at the spectra band near 530?nm.     

Light-induced aggregation of colloidal gold nanoparticles capped by thymine derivatives

The colloid stability of thymine-coated gold nanoparticles under light irradiation as a function of particle size, surface charge, and exposure time was investigated in alkaline, aqueous solutions as well as in a 0.5 vol % of DMF in H(2)O mixture. With increasing exposure to light irradiation at 280 nm, more and more particles coagulated. Light-induced aggregation of colloidal gold nanoparticles was attributed to reorientation of thymine terminal groups tethered on gold particle surfaces. A smaller particle size and negatively charged surface reduced the rate of photodimerization or even inhibited the photoreaction. UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the photodimerization of terminal thymine molecules under 280 nm light irradiation. The reaction kinetics of thymine photodimerization appears to be a combination of first-order reactions, each having different rates, reflecting the inhomogeneity and high curvature of the gold nanoparticle surfaces.     

Photochemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles in elastomer films of poly(butyl acrylate) latex

Gold particles are formed by photochemical reduction of HAuCl₄ in the bulk of poly(butyl acrylate) elastomer films under the action of monochromatic light with the wavelengths of 254 and 365 nm with direct participation of the ester chromophore group of the polymer having intrinsic photosensitivity in the near-UV range (254 nm). On irradiation at the wavelength of 365 nm, the reduction of HAuCl₄ is ineffective and stops at the stage of Au(I) formation. The physicomechanical properties of elastomer films modified with gold particles (tensile strength and relative elongation) were studied.     

Synthesis of gold nanoparticles by reduction of HAuCl4 under UV irradiation

Gold nanoparticles were prepared in surfactant solutions by reduction of HAuCl₄ under UV irradiation without adding extra reductants or other organic substances. The effect of the structure and the property of surfactant on the size and the optical properties of prepared gold nanoparticles were studied. It was found that the longer the alkyl chain of the surfactant, the larger gold particles are obtained. On the other hand, lengthen the geminis spacer benefits the formation of smaller gold particles. The formation of adduct micelles composed of the charged surface active portion of the surfactant molecule and the (Au^IIICl₄)⁻ ion in cationic surfactant solution serves as the gold source and favors the formation of gold particles with larger sizes. While the repulsion between the (Au^IIICl₄)⁻ ion and the negative charged surface of anionic surfactant micelle is in favor of the formation of gold nanoparticles with smaller sizes. The nonionic surfactants can also assist the formation of dispersed gold nanoparticles.     

Poly(ethyleneimine) as reducing and stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in w/o microemulsions

This paper is focused on the use of branched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) as reducing as well as stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in different media. The process of nanoparticle formation was investigated, in the absence of any other reducing agents, in microemulsion template phase in comparison to the nucleation process in aqueous polymer solution.

On the one hand, it was shown that the polyelectrolyte can be used for the controlled single-step synthesis and stabilization of gold nanoparticles via a nucleation reaction and particles with an average diameter of 7.1 nm can be produced.

On the other hand, it was demonstrated that the polymer can also act as reducing and stabilizing agent in much more complex systems, i.e. in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion droplets. The reverse microemulsion droplets of the quaternary system sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)/toluene–pentanol (1:1)/water were successfully used for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The polymer, incorporated in the droplets, exhibits reducing properties, adsorbs on the surface of the nanoparticles and prevents their aggregation. Consequently, nanoparticles of 8.6 nm can be redispersed after solvent evaporation without a change of their size.

Nevertheless, the polymer acts already as a “template” during the formation of the nanoparticles in water and in microemulsion, so that an additional template effect of the microemulsion is not observed.

The particle formation for both methods is checked by means of UV–vis spectroscopy and the particle size and size distribution are investigated via dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).     

Spectroscopic characteristics of gold nanoparticles synthesized in an aqueous solution of a micelle-forming surfactant (AOT)

Gold nanoparticles were synthesized in aqueous solutions of AOT using hydrazine as the reducing agent and characterized by spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and photon-correlation spectroscopy. The effect of gold (C_Au = 10^–4–10^–3 mol/L) and AOT (C_AOT = 5 × 10^–4–2.5 × 10^–2 mol/L) concentrations on the formation of stable gold sols (λ_max = 520 nm) was studied. According to transmission electron microscopy data, the average size of gold nanoparticles in the dispersions was ~10 nm, which was in good agreement with the n-averaged hydrodynamic diameter determined by the photon correlation spectroscopy.     

Size quantized formation and self-assembly of gold encased silver nanoparticles

Mixing aqueous dispersions of thiocyanate ion coated small (< 3.5 nm diameter) gold nanoparticles and EDTA covered larger (> 22 nm diameter) silver nanoparticles, results in the formation of robust gold encased silver nanoparticles; in contrast to using larger (> 11 nm diameter) gold nanoparticles which forms chained structures.     

金纳米粒子在TiO2气凝胶基质上的行为: 光催化活性评价和结构研究

TiO2 -Au aerogels containing different amounts of gold nanoparticles of different sizes (5 and 16 nm) were successfully synthesized using a sol-gel procedure, and were tested for salicylic acid photodegradation under UV irradiation. The structure and morphology of the obtained materials were investigated using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to study the optical properties. The effects of the gold nanoparticles on the TiO2 crystallization process were twofold, as follows: (i) the number of crystallized zones was strongly related to the concentration of the gold nanoparticles, and (ii) the smaller gold particles increased the time taken for the crystallization of the samples. It was found that the noble metal-doped samples exhibited higher degradation rates compared with bare titania. It was found that the most active photocatalyst in each studied system was the sample with the highest concentration of gold nanoparticles. Additionally, the highest degradation rate value was obtained with the smallest Au nanoparticles (46.4 10-3 μmol/(L·s).     

Preparation of functionally Pegylated gold nanoparticles with narrow distribution through autoreduction of auric cation by alpha-biotinyl-PEG-block-[poly(2- (N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)

PEGylated gold nanoparticles with biotin moieties installed at the distal end of the PEG tethered chains were prepared by the autoreduction of HAuCl4 catalyzed by alpha-biotinyl-PEG-block-poly[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (biotinyl-PEG/PAMA) in aqueous medium at room temperature. The size of the gold nanoparticles was controllable in a range of 6-13 nm by changing the initial Au3+/polymer ratio, while retaining their narrow size distribution. The dispersion stability of the nanoparticles in aqueous medium was extremely high even under the condition of salt concentration as high as I = 2.0. Biotinyl-PEG/PAMA-anchored gold nanoparticles underwent specific aggregation in the presence of streptavidin, revealing their promising utility as colloidal sensing systems applicable under biological condition.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Iron (II,III) on Positively Charged Gold Nanoparticles with Application for Magnetically Recoverable Catalysis

An aqueous dispersion was prepared by attaching positively charged gold nanoparticles to the surface of poly-sodium-p-styrenesulfonate-modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The Fe₃O₄@positively charged gold nanoparticles offer high monodispersion, stability against aggregation, and high magnetization with uniform size. The Fe₃O₄@positively charged gold nanoparticles were efficient and recyclable catalysts due to the formation of a positively charged gold layer on the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and were stable in aqueous solution for over forty-eight hours and hence may have a broad range of applications.     

Bimodal Size Distribution of Gold Nanoparticles under Picosecond Laser Pulses

The evolution of size distributions of gold nanoparticles under pulsed laser irradiation (Nd:YAG, lambda = 355 nm, pulse width 30 ps) was carefully observed by transmission electron microscopy. Interestingly, the initial monomodal size distribution of gold nanoparticles turned into a bimodal one, with two peaks in the number of particles, one at 6 nm and the other at 16-24 nm. The sizes for small particles depended very little on the irradiated laser energy. This change is attributed to laser-induced size reduction of the initial gold nanoparticles followed by the formation of small particles. In our analysis, we extracted a characteristic value for the size-reduction rate per one pulse and revealed that laser-induced size reduction of gold nanoparticles occurred even below the boiling point. When laser energy is insufficient for the boiling of particles, formation of gold vapor around liquid gold drops is thought to cause the phenomenon. With enough laser energy for the boiling, the formation of gold vapor around and inside liquid gold drops is responsible for the phenomenon. We also observed particles with gold strings after one pulse irradiation with a laser energy of 43 mJ cm(-2) pulse(-1), which is sufficient energy for the boiling. It is considered that such particles with gold strings are formed by the projection of gaseous gold from liquid gold drops with some volume of liquid gold around the bubble. On the basis of comparison with previous work, picosecond laser pulses are thought to be the most efficient way to cause laser-induced size reduction of gold nanoparticles.     

金纳米粒子的阳光光化学合成和晶种媒介生长

在柠檬酸盐-HAuCl4溶液体系中, 于高原太阳紫外线辐射下光化学合成了分散良好、尺寸分布窄的胶体金纳米粒子. 研究了溶液的酸度和太阳辐射条件对Au(Ⅲ)离子光化学还原反应速率和形成金纳米粒子尺寸的影响; 采用晶种媒介生长技术, 通过改变Au(0)/Au(Ⅲ)比合成了平均直径为4.9~9.7 nm的球形金粒子. 根据紫外-可见吸收光谱和透射电子显微镜的表征和分析, 讨论了光化学反应中自由基反应、金纳米粒子成核和生长机理.     

In Situ Formation of Gold Nanoparticles within a Polymer Particle and Their Catalytic Activities in Various Chemical Reactions

Composite materials consisting of nanoscale gold particles and protective polymer shells were designed and tested as catalysts in various chemical reactions. Initially, the systematic incorporation of multiple gold nanoparticles into a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) particle was achieved by an in situ method under light irradiation. The degree of gold nanoparticle loading, along with the structural and morphological properties, was examined as a function of the amount of initial gold ions and reducing agent. As these gold nanoparticles were physically-embedded within the polymer particle in the absence of strong interfacial interactions between the gold nanoparticles and polymer matrix, the readily-accessible surface of the gold nanoparticles with a highly increased stability allowed for their use as recyclable catalysts in oxidation, reduction, and coupling reactions. Overall, the ability to integrate catalytically-active metal nanoparticles within polymer particles in situ allows for designing novel composite materials for multi-purpose catalytic systems.     

Preparation and characterization of stable monodisperse silver nanoparticles via photoreduction

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by UV irradiation of [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺ aqueous solution using poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) as both reducing and stabilizing agents. The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed from the appearance of surface plasmon absorption maxima around 420 nm. It was found that the formation rate of silver nanoparticles from Ag₂O was much quicker than that from AgNO₃, and the absorption intensity increased with PVP concentration as well as irradiation time. The maximum absorption wavelength (λ_max) was blue shift with increasing PVP content until 8 times concentration of [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺ (wt%). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the resultant particles were 4–6 nm in size, monodisperse and uniform particle size distribution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the colloidal nanoparticles were the pure silver. In addition, the silver nanoparticles prepared by the method were stable in aqueous solution over a period of 6 months at room temperature (25 °C).     

新型双链表面活性剂DDOBA的合成与高单分散性憎水纳米金的制备

自行设计合成了新颖的苄胺型双链表面活性剂3,4-双十二烷氧基苄胺(DDOBA). 利用DDOBA/正丁醇/正庚烷/甲酸/HAuCl₄·4H₂O自发形成的水/油(W/O)型微乳液作为微反应器, 通过微波辐射下的甲酸还原法成功制备了DDOBA保护的憎水性金纳米粒子, 并通过紫外-可见(UV-Vis)光谱、透射电镜(TEM)、高分辨透射电镜(HR-TEM)和X射线衍射(XRD)等方法进行了表征和分析. 结果显示, DDOBA既可参与形成稳定的W/O型(油包水型)微乳液, 又可作为金纳米粒子的良好保护剂. 在合适的微乳液体系组成范围内, 用本实验方法可以获得高单分散性的憎水性金纳米粒子, 并能在空气/水界面上自动形成大面积短程有序的纳米金二维自组装膜.