Shape-controlled Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles from Gold(III)-chelates of β-diketones

Chelating ligands with β-diketone skeleton have been employed for the first time as reductant to produce ligand stabilized gold nanoparticles of different shapes out of aqueous HAuCl4 solutions. Evolution of stable gold nanoparticles happens to be first order with respect to gold particles having rate constants ∼ ∼10−2 min−1 and subsequent chlorine insertion in the β-diketone skeleton is reported as a general feature. Spherical or triangular or hexagonal particle evolution goes selectively under the influence of different β-diketones in terms of capping and reducing capabilities of the reductants.