Abstract
Gold nanocages (AuNcgs) are well-studied, hollow, metallic nanostructures that have fascinated researchers in the fields of nanotechnology, materials science, photoelectronics, biotechnology, and medical science for the last decade. However, the time-consuming synthesis of AuNcgs has limited their widespread use in materials science and nano-biotechnology. A novel, ultra-fast, simple, and highly convenient method for the production of AuNcgs using microwave heating is demonstrated herein. This quick method of AuNcg synthesis requires mild laboratory conditions for large-scale production of AuNcgs. The microwave heating technique offers the advantage of precise mechanical control over the temperature and heating power, even for the shortest reaction period (i.e., seconds). Microwave-synthesized AuNcgs were compared with conventionally synthesized AuNcgs. Structural maneuver studies employing the conventionally produced AuNcgs revealed the formation of screw dislocations and a shift in the lattice plane. Detailed characterization of the microwave-generated AuNcgs was performed using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and spectroscopic techniques.
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Acknowledgements
Authors would like to acknowledge their sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan for the financial support under the program of the strategic research foundation at private universities S1101017, organized by the MEXT, Japan. S. R. would like to acknowledge Mr. Keiichi Yanagisawa for his sincere help extended for electron beam damage study and capturing HRTEM images using JEM-ARM200F.
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Raveendran, S., Sen, A., Maekawa, T. et al. Ultra-fast microwave aided synthesis of gold nanocages and structural maneuver studies. Nano Res. 10, 1078–1091 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1368-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1368-3