Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stabilized gold nanoparticles by laser ablation in ferric chloride solutions

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, laser ablation of gold was performed in different ferric chloride solutions and water as a reference. The ferric chloride solutions included hexachloro iron(III) and aquachloro iron(III) having low and high hydrolysis degree. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images showed spherical gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in water, particles which are strongly agglomerated with intimate contact at their interfaces in hexachloro iron(III) and individual separated particles with a halo of an iron component in aquachloro iron(III). In addition, no combination of Au and Fe was found in HAADF analysis or X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. In optical investigations, it was observed that gold nanoparticles made in hexachloro iron(III) solutions have localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks broader than in the case of water that are quenched after a few hours, while ablation in the aquachloro iron(III) solution provides narrow LSPR absorption with a long-term stability. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) there are metallic Au and Fe2+ states in the drop-casted samples. By comparison of cyclic voltammetry of solutions before and after laser ablation, strong agglomeration in hexachloro iron(III) was attributed to the reducing role of iron(III) creating an unstable gold surface in the chloride solution. In aquachloro iron(III), however, the observed stability was attributed to the formation of the halo of an iron compound around the particles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. P.K. Jain et al., Noble metals on the nanoscale: optical and photothermal properties and some applications in imaging, sensing, biology, and medicine. Acc. Chem. Res. 41(12), 1578–1586 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  2. X. Sun, Y. Li, Colloidal carbon spheres and their core/shell structures with noble-metal nanoparticles. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 43(5), 597–601 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  3. J. Bartolomé et al., Magnetic polarization of noble metals by Co nanoparticles in M-capped granular multilayers (M=Cu, Ag, and Au): an X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study. Phys. Rev. B—Condens. Matter Mater. Phys. 77(18), 184420 (2008)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. N. Lopez et al., On the origin of the catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles for low-temperature CO oxidation. J. Catal. 223(1), 232–235 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  5. C. Gutiérrez-Sánchez et al., Gold nanoparticles as electronic bridges for laccase-based biocathodes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134(41), 17212–17220 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  6. J.P. Sylvestre et al., Femtosecond laser ablation of gold in water: Influence of the laser-produced plasma on the nanoparticle size distribution. Appl. Phys. A: Mater. Sci. Process. 80(4), 753–758 (2005)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. H. Qian et al., Total structure determination of thiolate-protected Au38 nanoparticles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132(24), 8280–8281 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  8. M.A. El-Sayed, Some interesting properties of metals confined in time and nanometer space of different shapes. Acc. Chem. Res. 34(4), 257–264 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  9. M. Wang, D.-j.. Guo, H.-l.. Li, High activity of novel Pd/TiO2 nanotube catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation. J. Solid State Chem. 178(6), 1996–2000 (2005)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. S.E. Skrabalak et al., Gold nanocages: synthesis, properties, and applications. Acc. Chem. Res. 41(12), 1587–1595 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  11. M.C. Daniel, D. Astruc, Gold nanoparticles: assembly, supramolecular chemistry, quantum-size-related properties, and applications toward biology, catalysis, and nanotechnology. Chem. Rev. 104(1), 293–346 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Y. Sun, Y. Xia, Shape-controlled synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles. Science 298(5601), 2176–2179 (2002)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Y.C. Cao, R. Jin, C.A. Mirkin, Nanoparticles with Raman spectroscopic fingerprints for DNA and RNA detection. Science 297(5586), 1536–1540 (2002)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. P.L. Stiles et al., Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, in Annual Review of Analytical Chemistry. 2008. pp. 601–626

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. J.N. Anker et al., Biosensing with plasmonic nanosensors. Nat. Mater. 7(6), 442–453 (2008)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. S. Eustis, M.A. El-Sayed, Why gold nanoparticles are more precious than pretty gold: Noble metal surface plasmon resonance and its enhancement of the radiative and nonradiative properties of nanocrystals of different shapes. Chem. Soc. Rev. 35(3), 209–217 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  17. X. Huang et al., Cancer cell imaging and photothermal therapy in the near-infrared region by using gold nanorods. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128(6), 2115–2120 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  18. E. Hutter, J.H. Fendler, Exploitation of localized surface plasmon resonance. Adv. Mater. 16(19), 1685–1706 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  19. P.K. Jain et al., Calculated absorption and scattering properties of gold nanoparticles of different size, shape, and composition: Applications in biological imaging and biomedicine. J. Phys. Chem. B 110(14), 7238–7248 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  20. K.L. Kelly et al., The optical properties of metal nanoparticles: the influence of size, shape, and dielectric environment. J. Phys. Chem. B 107(3), 668–677 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  21. K.A. Willets, R.P. Van Duyne, Localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and sensing, in Annual Review of Physical Chemistry. 2007. pp. 267–297

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. G.K. Darbha et al., Selective detection of mercury (II) ion using nonlinear optical properties of gold nanoparticles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130(25), 8038–8043 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Z. Li et al., From redox gating to quantized charging. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132(23), 8187–8193 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  24. H.L. Jiang et al., Synergistic catalysis of Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles stabilized on metal-organic framework. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133(5), 1304–1306 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  25. R.W.J. Scott et al., Bimetallic palladium—Gold dendrimer-encapsulated catalysts. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126(47), 15583–15591 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  26. T. Shibata et al., Size-dependent spontaneous alloying of Au-Ag nanoparticles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124(40), 11989–11996 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  27. J. Gao et al., Colloidal stability of gold nanoparticles modified with thiol compounds: bioconjugation and application in cancer cell imaging. Langmuir 28(9), 4464–4471 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  28. J. Bao et al., Bifunctional Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticles for protein separation. ACS Nano 1(4), 293–298 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  29. C.S. Levin et al., Magnetic–plasmonic core–shell nanoparticles. ACS nano 3(6), 1379–1388 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  30. T.A. Larson et al., Hybrid plasmonic magnetic nanoparticles as molecular specific agents for MRI/optical imaging and photothermal therapy of cancer cells. Nanotechnology 18(32), 325101 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  31. P.K. Jain et al., Surface plasmon resonance enhanced magneto-optics (SuPREMO): Faraday rotation enhancement in gold-coated iron oxide nanocrystals. Nano Lett. 9(4), 1644–1650 (2009)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. F. Pineider et al., Spin-polarization transfer in colloidal magnetic-plasmonic au/iron oxide hetero-nanocrystals. ACS Nano 7(1), 857–866 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  33. I. Mahapatra et al., Probabilistic modelling of prospective environmental concentrations of gold nanoparticles from medical applications as a basis for risk assessment. J. Nanobiotechnol. 13(1), (2015)

  34. V. Amendola et al., Magneto-plasmonic Au-Fe alloy nanoparticles designed for multimodal SERS-MRI-CT imaging. Small 10(12), 2476–2486 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  35. H. Gao et al., Plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic activity of iron oxide on gold nanopillars. ACS Nano 6(1), 234–240 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Z. Ban et al., The synthesis of core-shell iron@gold nanoparticles and their characterization. J. Mater. Chem. 15(43), 4660–4662 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  37. B. Ravel, E. Carpenter, V. Harris, Oxidation of iron in iron/gold core/shell nanoparticles. J. Appl. Phys. 91(10), 8195–8197 (2002)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. E.V. Shevchenko et al., Gold/iron oxide core/hollow-shell nanoparticles. Adv. Mater. 20(22), 4323–4329 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  39. C.L. Ren et al., Facile method for preparing gold coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Mater. Res. Innov. 15(3), 208–211 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Z. Li, A. Friedrich, A. Taubert, Gold microcrystal synthesis via reduction of HAuCl4 by cellulose in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride. J. Mater. Chem. 18(9), 1008–1014 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  41. D. Shore et al., Electrodeposited Fe and Fe–Au nanowires as MRI contrast agents. Chem. Commun. 52, 12634–12637 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  42. S. Scaramuzza, S. Agnoli, V. Amendola, Metastable alloy nanoparticles, metal-oxide nanocrescents and nanoshells generated by laser ablation in liquid solution: influence of the chemical environment on structure and composition. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 17(42), 28076–28087 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  43. P. Mukherjee et al., Formation of non-equilibrium Fe-Au solid solutions in nanoclusters. Appl. Phys. Lett. 102(24), 243103 (2013)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. F. Mafuné et al., Formation of gold nanoparticles by laser ablation in aqueous solution of surfactant. J. Phys. Chem. B 105(22), 5114–5120 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  45. T. Sakka et al., Laser ablation at solid-liquid interfaces: an approach from optical emission spectra. J. Chem. Phys. 112(19), 8645–8653 (2000)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. S. Barcikowski, G. Compagnini, Advanced nanoparticle generation and excitation by lasers in liquids. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15(9), 3022–3026 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  47. G. Compagnini, A.A. Scalisi, O. Puglisi, Ablation of noble metals in liquids: A method to obtain nanoparticles in a thin polymeric film. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 4(12), 2787–2791 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  48. S. Reich et al., Pulsed laser ablation in liquids: Impact of the bubble dynamics on particle formation. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 489, 106–113 (2017)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. J. Zhang, C.Q. Lan, Nickel and cobalt nanoparticles produced by laser ablation of solids in organic solution. Mater. Lett. 62(10–11), 1521–1524 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  50. J. Zhang, M. Chaker, D. Ma, Pulsed laser ablation based synthesis of colloidal metal nanoparticles for catalytic applications. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 489, 138–149 (2017)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. V. Amendola, M. Meneghetti, Laser ablation synthesis in solution and size manipulation of noble metal nanoparticles. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 11(20), 3805–3821 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  52. G. Palazzo et al., On the stability of gold nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation in liquids. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 489, 47–56 (2017)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. V. Amendola et al., Formation of alloy nanoparticles by laser ablation of Au/Fe multilayer films in liquid environment. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 489, 18–27 (2017)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. Z. Sheykhifard et al., Direct fabrication of Au/Pd(II) colloidal core-shell nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation of gold in PdCl2 Solution. J. Phys. Chem. C 119(17), 9534–9542 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  55. J. Liao et al., Linear aggregation of gold nanoparticles in ethanol. Colloids Surf., A 223(1–3), 177–183 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  56. K.G. Moodley, M.J. Nicol, Kinetics of reduction of gold (III) by platinum (II) and iron (III) in aqueous chloride solutions. J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 10, 993–996 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  57. A. Letzel et al., Size quenching during laser synthesis of colloids happens already in the vapor phase of the cavitation bubble. J. Phys. Chem. C 121(9), 5356–5365 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  58. S. Petersen, S. Barcikowski, In situ bioconjugation: single step approach to tailored nanoparticle-bioconjugates by ultrashort pulsed laser ablation. Adv. Funct. Mater. 19(8), 1167–1172 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 8415683111, Iran

    M. I. Nouraddini & M. Ranjbar

  2. The Queen’s College, Oxford, OX1 4AW, UK

    P. J. Dobson

  3. Department of Chemistry, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 8415683111, Iran

    H. Farrokhpour

  4. Department of Materials, Oxford University, Begbroke Science Park, Sandy Lane, Yarnton, Oxford, OX5 1PF, UK

    C. Johnston & K. Jurkschat

Authors
  1. M. I. Nouraddini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Ranjbar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. J. Dobson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. H. Farrokhpour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Johnston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K. Jurkschat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Ranjbar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nouraddini, M.I., Ranjbar, M., Dobson, P.J. et al. Stabilized gold nanoparticles by laser ablation in ferric chloride solutions. Appl. Phys. A 123, 727 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-017-1346-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-017-1346-y

Search

Navigation