Characterization of gold nanoparticles in organic or inorganic medium (ethanol/water) fabricated by spark discharge method

In this paper a method of spark discharge method (SDM) for producing gold nanoparticles in organic or inorganic medium (pure ethanol/deionized water) is proposed. The microstructure of SDM-produced gold nanoparticles was examined by Transmission Electron Microscopy. The crystal structure and surface plasmon resonance of the nanoscale gold particles were studied using X-ray diffraction and UV–Visible spectroscopy. Zeta potential analysis showed that negative charges on the particle surface may be contributing to the stability of the suspension. The experiment's results revealed that SDM is an alternative process to synthesize gold nanoparticle suspension with different particle sizes and shapes in different media without any surfactant.