title: Opportunistic use of tetrachloroaurate photolysis in the generation of reductive species for the production of gold nanostructures.
abstract: The photolysis of gold salts is rarely viewed as the initiation for gold nanoparticle (AuNP) formation. Yet, photolysis of AuCl(4)(-) generates chlorine atoms whose rich hydrogen transfer chemistry can readily generate strongly reducing radicals. Interesting precursors include hydrogen peroxide, 2-propanol, 1,4-cyclohexadiene and tetrahydrofuran; all of them yield strongly reducing radicals. Further, this group of substrates has been selected because of the innocuous and volatile nature of reagents and products, thus allowing a remarkably clean synthesis of gold nanostructures. In the case of H(2)O(2) the by-products are water and oxygen. The methodology reported here opens the door to particles that can be modified in situ or post-synthesis with custom surface covering without concern for chemical debris from the nanostructure synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: McGilvray
authors.forename: Jenna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Granger
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Jeffrey T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Scaiano
mesh_terms: D019840:2-Propanol / Q000737:chemistry; D002712:Chlorides / Q000737:chemistry*; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000737:chemistry; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D017612:Gold Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010782:Photolysis; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D005663:Furans; D017612:Gold Compounds; C048401:1,4-cyclohexadiene; C018674:tetrahydrofuran; D006046:Gold; C024568:gold tetrachloride, acid; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D019840:2-Propanol