title: Cucurbit[7]uril as a tool in the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles.
abstract: A simple, green, one-pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles was achieved through the reaction of an aqueous mixture of potassium tetrachloroaurate(III) and the macrocycle cucurbit[7]uril in the presence of sodium hydroxide at room temperature without introducing any kind of traditional reducing agents and/or external energy. The as-prepared gold nanoparticles showed catalytic activity for the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH(4), which has been established by visual inspection and UV/Vis spectroscopy. This report is the first for the preparation of gold nanoparticles using cucurbit[7]uril in aqueous media through chemical reduction without employing conventional reducing agents and/or external energy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 1 Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712, South Korea.
authors.forename: Thathan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Premkumar
authors.forename: Kurt E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Geckeler
mesh_terms: D001894:Borohydrides / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D047028:Macrocyclic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000737:chemistry; D019163:Reducing Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013696:Temperature; D000099246:Cucurbit(n)urils
chemical_list: D001894:Borohydrides; D006046:Gold; D047028:Macrocyclic Compounds; D009596:Nitrophenols; D019163:Reducing Agents; D012834:Silver; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D000099246:Cucurbit(n)urils; C025364:sodium borohydride; C024836:4-nitrophenol