Influence of capping agents on the growth of gold nanoparticles from aqueous and non-aqueous medium

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with different shape and size were prepared in an aqueous and non-aqueous solution using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as a capping agent by simple chemical synthesis. In an aqueous bath Au NPs were synthesized at room temperature and high temperature was found to be suitable for non-aqueous bath. These Au NPs are characterized by using different characterization techniques. Effect of capping agent on the particle size and shape for different medium were extensively studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).