SOLVENT COMPLEXATION TRIGGERED SYNTHESIS OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

The novel room temperature wet chemical synthesis method for the reduction of hydro chloroauric acid (HAuCl4.3H2O) leading to the formation of distinct anisotropic size/shaped gold nanoparticles is largely dictated by conformational changes in the solvent complexation of Dimethylformamide (DMF) in aqueous as well as alcoholic solvents. A strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band in visible region, that is induced when the oscillation frequency of free electrons of the gold nanoparticles resonates with the frequency of incident light, indicates the formation of gold nanoparticles. The complexation of DMF with protic solvents like water and alcohols at different pH alters the reducing as well as capping capabilities of complex for hydro-chloroauric acid (HAuCl4.3H2O). Variation of optical properties of thus synthesized gold nanoparticles was quantitatively studied with UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy along with formation mechanism elucidated with FTIR measurements.