title: Facile "green" synthesis, characterization, and catalytic function of beta-D-glucose-stabilized Au nanocrystals.
abstract: We present a straightforward, economically viable, and "green" approach for the synthesis and stabilization of relatively monodisperse Au nanocrystals with an average diameter of 8.2 nm (standard deviation, SD=2.3 nm) by using nontoxic and renewable biochemical of beta-D-glucose and by simply adjusting the pH environment in aqueous medium. The beta-D-glucose acts both as reducing agent and capping agent for the synthesis and stabilization of Au nanocrystals in the system. The UV/Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed to systematically characterize Au nanocrystals synthesized. Additionally, it is shown that these beta-D-glucose-stabilized Au nanocrystals function as effective catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH4 (otherwise unfeasible if only the strong reducing agent NaBH4 is employed), which was reflected by the UV/Vis spectra of the catalytic reaction kinetics.
authors.affiliation: Tohoku Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino-ku, Sendai 983-8551, Japan. liu.sam@eng.auburn.edu
authors.forename: Juncheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gaowu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Poovathinthodiyil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raveendran
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikushima
authors.forename: Yukata
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikushima
mesh_terms: D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D006046:Gold; D005947:Glucose