Room temperature synthesis of highly monodisperse and SERS-active glucose-reduced gold nanoparticles

A novel method of synthesizing gold nanoparticles was developed through which glucose-coated nanospheres of high monodispersity were synthesized at room temperature. More than 85% of the nanoparticles showed a mean diameter of 8-9 nm. The nanoparticles were characterized through TEM, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Zeta potential measurements and were found to be highly stable in colloidal form over time with a surface potential of -38.7 mV. The nanoparticles also showed a great Raman enhancing factor when they were tested as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate on various analytes such as rhodamine 6G, crystal violet chloride, cresyl violet chloride, rose bengal, and the Cu(II) 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol complex at micromolar concentrations. (authors)