Quick synthesis of gold nanoparticles at low temperature, by using Agave potatorum extracts

Abstract Gold nanoparticles were synthetized in short time by a novel and easy method by using an aqueous extract from Agave potatorum. The UV–Vis data show a characteristic band at 540 nm, from the minute 2 of synthesis that intensifies through the reaction time advances, by X-Ray diffraction and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), it is demonstrated the polycrystallinity of the samples, exhibiting the specific features of metallic gold; the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) results show pseudospherical nanoparticles with an average size of 14 nm corresponding to the synthesized samples at 10 min and 22 nm in the case of the synthesized samples at 20 min. The results suggest that the Agave extract works also as stabilizer.