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Title: Direct formation of gold nanoparticles using ultrasound

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1600373

The invention provides a green chemistry, aqueous method to synthesize gold nanoparticles directly from bulk gold sources. The method involves the ultrasonication of bulk gold in water in the presence of an alkythiol species and a quaternary ammonium surfactant. An organic bilayer forms on the surface of the gold which renders it susceptible to material ejection from the violent collapse of cavitation bubbles. This ejected material is stabilized in solution by the formation of an organic bilayer and can be easily separated. It can then be subjected to an aqueous digestive ripening step to give a gold nanoparticle ensemble with a well-defined plasmon resonance. This method is applicable to a number of different sources of bulk gold. The method can be applied to an environmentally important problem; the recovery of gold from electronic waste streams. For example, gold nanoparticles can be extracted directly from the surface of SIM cards, with no prior manipulation of the cards necessary.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Assignee:
National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC (Albuquerque, NM)
Patent Number(s):
10,500,643
Application Number:
15/484,856
OSTI ID:
1600373
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 04/11/2017
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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