A study on the sizes and concentrations of gold nanoparticles by spectra of absorption, resonance Rayleigh scattering and resonance non-linear scattering

Liquid phase gold nanoparticles with different diameters and colors can be prepared using sodium citrate reduction method by controlling the amounts of sodium citrate. The mean diameters of gold nanoparticles are measured by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Gold nanoparticles with different sizes have specific absorption spectra. When the diameters of nanoparticles is between 12 and 41 nm, the maximum absorption peaks locate at 520–530 nm and there are red shifts gradually with the increase of diameters of gold nanoparticles. And when the size of gold nanoparticle is constant, the absorbance is proportional to the concentration of gold. Obvious resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) and the resonance non-linear scattering such as second-order scattering (SOS) and frequency-doubling scattering (FDS) appear at the same time as well, and the maximum scattering peaks are located at 286 nm (RRS), 480 nm (SOS) and 310 nm (FDS), respectively. When the concentration of gold is constant, absorbance and the intensities of RRS, SOS and FDS (IRRS, ISOS and IFDS) have linear relationships with the diameters of gold nanoparticles. When the diameter of gold nanoparticle is constant, the absorbance and IRRS, ISOS, IFDS are directly proportional to the concentrations of gold nanoparticles. Therefore, it is very useful for studying the liquid phase gold nanoparticles by investigating the absorption, RRS, SOS and FDS spectra.