Gold nanorods can be synthesized through a wet-chemical seed-mediated approach employing a shape-directing surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). By varying tiny quantities of silver nitrate in the growth solution, the aspect ratio of the nanorods can be finely tuned thereby shifting the longitudinal plasmonic peak from about 600 nm to about 900 nm. However, much debate remains as to the mechanism of growth and the role of CTAB. Various proposals include a soft template method by micelles of CTAB as well as an adsorption based zipper mechanism of growth. Here we present a cryogenic transmission electron microscopy study of the process of gold nanorod formation with varying concentrations of silver nitrate.

Cryo-TEM characterization of gold nanorod growth in solutions of CTAB with trace Ag<sup>+</sup>

246th National Meeting (2013)

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Cryo-TEM characterization of gold nanorod growth in solutions of CTAB with trace Ag+

Cryo-TEM characterization of gold nanorod growth in solutions of CTAB with trace Ag⁺