The direct synthesis of Au nanocrystals in microdroplets using the spray-assisted method

Abstract

In this paper, we have synthesized tetrahedral and icosahedral Au nanocrystals without introducing any surfactants or inorganic ligands in the preparation process. The experiments were carried out in the microdroplets produced by a spray-assisted method. By controlling the experimental conditions (applied voltage, precursor concentration and temperature), the nucleation and growth process of Au nanocrystals were tailored in the microdroplets. This method not only proposed a fast and green route for size and morphology tailoring of gold nanocrystals, but also provided a new strategy for the direct preparation of other metal crystals.