Controlled spontaneous generation of Gold Nanoparticles assisted by dual reducing and Capping Agents

Noble-metal nanoparticles have attracted a great deal of interest by their unique optical, electronic, magnetic, and catalytic properties and intense research efforts are still devoted to develop new synthetic and functionalizing strategies. This extremely active research field was supported by the amazing chemical and physical properties displayed by the metal particles of nanometric size that are markedly different from those of the corresponding bulk materials. Especially, optical and electronic properties of metal nanoparticles can be easily tuned by modifying their size and shape. Regarding noble metals nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) are without contest at the forefront in this research area. Academic interest for Au-NPs, which showed fast growth over the past years, is motivated by the strong surface PR displayed by gold nanoparticles.