Controlled formation of gold nanoplates and nanobelts in lyotropic liquid crystal phases with imidazolium cations

Single-crystalline gold nanoplates and also nanobelts, with {1 1 1} crystallographic facets and size length longer than 20 μm, are synthesized in large scale by reduction of HAuCl4 in lyotropic liquid crystal phases. Such flat products can be obtained from different systems including hexagonal or lamellar phases made of P123 (EO20PO70EO20) where different ionic liquid like additives play the crucial roles in the product formation. The results demonstrate that the product sizes and morphologies strongly depend on the balance among forces between different components and the adsorption of imidazolium cations on gold through controlling the reduction rates by their molar ratios.