Formation of gold nanoparticles via a thiol functionalized polyoxometalate

A useful method for the synthesis of Au nanoparticles is presented. The synthesis of Au nanoparticles with various morphologies was carried out at room temperature using gamma radiolysis and NaBH4 reduction of HAuCl4 in N,N′-dimethylformamide:water solutions containing polyoxometalate (POM). The results demonstrated that by controlling the rate of reduction and ratio of DMF and water, metal particle size and shape can be further tailored. It is shown that gold nanoparticles with controllable size can be synthesized. In principle, the general finding of this work can be extended to other transition/noble metal nanoparticles. - Graphical abstract: TEM image of [POM(SH2)]4− capped gold nanoparticles in 1:1 ratio of DMF/water. Highlights: ► Synthesis of gold nanoparticles using radiolytic method ► Changes in the shapes of Au nanoparticles by changing the composition of the solvent ► The role of reductant in the formation of different shapes