title: Facile in situ characterization of gold nanoparticles on electrode surfaces by electrochemical techniques: average size, number density and morphology determination.
abstract: A fast and cheap in situ approach is presented for the characterization of gold nanoparticles from electrochemical experiments. The average size and number of nanoparticles deposited on a glassy carbon electrode are determined from the values of the total surface area and amount of gold obtained by lead underpotential deposition and by stripping of gold in hydrochloric acid solution, respectively. The morphology of the nanoparticle surface can also be analyzed from the "fingerprint" in lead deposition/stripping experiments. The method is tested through the study of gold nanoparticles deposited on a glassy carbon substrate by seed-mediated growth method which enables an easy control of the nanoparticle size. The procedure is also applied to the characterization of supplied gold nanoparticles. The results are in satisfactory agreement with those obtained via scanning electron microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, UK.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laborda
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salter
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crossley
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Compton
mesh_terms: D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D006046:Gold