Size evaluation of gold nanoparticles using transient grating method with deep-UV excitation pulses

Abstract Transient grating (TG) method was applied for evaluating the size of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in aqueous solution. Using nanosecond deep-UV pulses for excitation, AuNPs were reduced to smaller particles, making it feasible to determine their diffusion coefficients and hydrodynamic diameters. The diffusion signals of AuNPs were enhanced significantly by probing at the plasmon resonant wavelength, enabling the data acquisition within a few seconds. The determined hydrodynamic diameters were in agreement with those by other experimental techniques, indicating that the TG method is applicable for size evaluation of these nanoparticles in solution at short time.