New aspects of gold nanorod formation via seed-mediated method

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) were obtained via a wet chemistry technique, in aqueous medium, employing crystallisation seeds. The kinetics of formation, the aspect ratio, and the selectivity of the particles were evaluated according to the parameters of synthesis: the growth-driving agent, seed, and gold precursor concentrations. In 2–4 h, the rod particles attained the expected size and shape under kinetic control, and were stable for at least 2 days. In order to obtain good quality AuNRs in good yields, without enrichment, we suggest keeping the growth-driving agent/gold molar ratio, the AuI/seed ratio, and the concentration of the reagents in the final solution within specific ranges. For example, even if good molar ratios between the reagents are maintained, relatively highly concentrated reaction solutions lead to AuNRs with lower aspect ratios. The main properties of the prepared colloidal systems and the nanoparticles were evaluated by UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively.