title: Size and shape separation of gold nanoparticles with preparative gel electrophoresis.
abstract: We employed agarose gel preparative electrophoresis to separate gold nanoparticles based on size, shape, and charge. The separating technique was first demonstrated by size separation of 5 nm, 15 nm, and 20 nm spherical gold nanoclusters; and further evidenced through the purification of crude 15 +/- 2.7 nm nanoclusters to nanoclusters that were 15 +/- 0.4 nm. The ability to separate gold nanoparticles by shape was also shown by the purification of a mixture of gold spheres, plates, and long rods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Nanocenter, University of South Carolina, 631 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoyou
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: K Kenneth
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Caswell
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Saswat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kabisatpathy
authors.forename: K Lisa
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Brodhacker
authors.forename: Walter A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Scrivens
mesh_terms: D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / Q000379:methods*; D006046:Gold / Q000032:analysis*; D017979:Gold Colloid / Q000032:analysis*; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods; D013194:Staining and Labeling