title: Turkevich in New Robes: Key Questions Answered for the Most Common Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis.
abstract: This contribution provides a comprehensive mechanistic picture of the gold nanoparticle synthesis by citrate reduction of HAuCl4, known as Turkevich method, by addressing five key questions. The synthesis leads to monodisperse final particles as a result of a seed-mediated growth mechanism. In the initial phase of the synthesis, seed particles are formed onto which the residual gold is distributed during the course of reaction. It is shown that this mechanism is a fortunate coincidence created by a favorable interplay of several chemical and physicochemical processes which initiate but also terminate the formation of seed particles and prevent the formation of further particles at later stages of reaction. Since no further particles are formed after seed particle formation, the number of seeds defines the final total particle number and therefore the final size. The gained understanding allows illustrating the influence of reaction conditions on the growth process and thus the final size distribution.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wuithschick
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birnbaum
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.affiliation: ‡ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38043 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sztucki
authors.affiliation: §Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vainio
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rademann
authors.affiliation: ∥BAM Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing, Richard-Willstätter-Straße 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Emmerling
authors.affiliation: ⊥Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kraehnert
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polte
keywords: SAXS; Turkevich; gold nanoparticles; growth mechanism; size control; tetrachloroauric acid