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Seed-mediated synthesis of acanthosphere-like gold microstructures with tunable LSPR in the NIR region using gemini surfactants as directing agents for SERS applications

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Abstract

Acanthosphere-like gold microstructures (AGMs) were synthesized using a facile, two-step, seed-mediated method and butanediyl-1,4-bis(dimethylhexadecylammonium bromide) (16-4-16) as a structure-directing agent. The morphologies and sizes of the products were controlled during the synthesis process by adjusting the concentrations of 16-4-16, the AgNO3 feed, HAuCl4, ascorbic acid, the amount of Ag seeds and the types of gemini surfactants used through systematic inquiry; particle sizes ranging from 130 to 800 nm were well prepared. Correspondingly, the morphology of the products changed between regular and irregular AGMs, and the products presented a number of new morphologies, such as open-mouthed submicrostructures and ribbon nanowires. In particular, with the increase in the 16-4-16 concentration, the structural morphology of the thorns clearly changed from a tip to a lamellar structure. A UV-vis spectroscopic analysis indicated that the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak of the AGMs could be adjusted by changing the above factors, which extended from 500 to 1350 nm in the near-infrared (NIR) region, enabling a tremendous potential for using the AGMs as platforms for various biomedical applications. Based on the intermediate products, we propose a two-stage growth mechanism for the AGMs in which their solid cores and tips are generated successively. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements indicate that the AGMs can serve as sensitive SERS substrates; a SERS detection limit of 5 × 10−7 M is presented for rhodamine B molecules.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Master Nannan Xiang at Anhui Normal University (PRC) and Ms. Fei Niu, Xiaohua Wang and Mr. Shaobo Mo at Wuhan University (PRC) for their contributions to this work. This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Chinese Central Universities (2012203020211).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Yan Xia, Zhinong Gao, Xueming Liao, Wanying Wei & Chenchen Pan

  2. Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers, Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Yan Xia, Zhinong Gao, Xueming Liao, Wanying Wei & Chenchen Pan

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  1. Yan Xia
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Correspondence to Zhinong Gao.

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This study was funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Chinese Central Universities (grant number 2012203020211).

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Xia, Y., Gao, Z., Liao, X. et al. Seed-mediated synthesis of acanthosphere-like gold microstructures with tunable LSPR in the NIR region using gemini surfactants as directing agents for SERS applications. J Nanopart Res 19, 290 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-017-3994-4

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