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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2016
The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) displaying pH and salt resistant activity has been a challenging tasks. The use of aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-APTMS) as one of the reagent during the synthesis of AuNPs may control such activity due to its micellar behavior. The AuNPs made from 3-APTMS capped gold ions in the presence of formaldehyde are found insensitive to pH- and salt. The major findings on 3-APTMS and formaldehyde mediated synthesis of AuNPs reveal the following: (1) 3-APTMS being amphiphilic, dispersibility of as prepared AuNPs largely depends on the organic reducing agents. (2) An increase in the hydrocarbon content of the reducing agent facilitate the dispersibility of AuNPs in organic solvent whereas decrease of the same increases the dispersibility in water, (3) AuNPs made through aldehydic reducing agents (formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) have relatively better salt and pH tolerance as compared to ketonic reducing agents (acetone, t-butyl dimethyl ketone), and (4) an increase in 3-APTMS concentrations enables salt- and pH- resistant property to AuNPs irrespective of organic reducing agents.