Method of producing gold nanoprisms

1. A method of producing gold nanoprisms comprising the steps of

a) admixing a suspension of gold seed nanoparticles and a first growth solution to form a first mixture,

wherein the volume ratio of first growth solution to suspension is at least 2:1,

wherein the gold seed nanoparticles have a diameter of about 3 to about 10 nm, and

wherein the first growth solution comprises a gold salt, a base, a reducing agent, and a surfactant, wherein the surfactant has a concentration in the first growth solution of at least 50% saturation at about 25° C.;

b) admixing the first mixture and a second growth solution to form a second mixture,

wherein the volume ratio of second growth solution to first mixture is at least 2:1,

wherein the second growth solution comprises a gold salt, a base, a reducing agent, and a surfactant, wherein the surfactant has a concentration in the second growth solution of at least 80% saturation at about 25° C.; and

c) admixing the second mixture and a third growth solution to form a third mixture,

wherein the volume ratio of third growth solution to second mixture is at least 2:1, and

wherein the third growth solution comprises a gold salt, a base, a reducing agent, and a surfactant, and wherein the surfactant has a concentration in the third growth solution of at least 80% saturation at about 25° C.;

wherein the surfactants of the first, second, and third growth solutions are ammonium salts having at least one and up to four substituents having at least four carbons; and

wherein the gold nanoprisms are triangular or a combination of triangular and spherical and are essentially free of rods, cubes, and branched structures, and the triangular nanoprisms have at least one edge length of about 100 to about 400 nm.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the gold nanoprisms are triangular.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the gold salt of one or more of the first growth solution, second growth solution, or third growth solution comprises HAuCl 4 or a potassium, calcium, sodium, or lithium salt thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reducing agent of the first growth solution, second growth solution, and third growth solution, independently, is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, sodium borohydride, 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, hydrazine, lithium aluminum hydride, diisobutylalum mum hydride, oxalic acid, and Lindlar catalyst.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reducing agent of the first growth solution, second growth solution, and third growth solution comprises ascorbic acid.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the surfactant of the first growth solution, second growth solution, and third growth solution, independently, is selected from the group consisting of tetrabutylammonium bromide, dodecyldimethylamonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and mixtures thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the surfactant of the first growth solution, second growth solution, and third growth solution comprises cetyltrimethylammonium bromide.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first growth solution and the second growth solution comprise an identical gold salt, an identical reducing agent, and an identical surfactant.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first growth solution, the second growth solution, and the third growth solution comprise an identical gold salt, an identical reducing agent, and an identical surfactant.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the gold salt comprises HAuCl 4 or a potassium, calcium, sodium, or lithium salt thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the reducing agent comprises ascorbic acid.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the surfactant comprises cetyltrimethylammonium bromide.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising filtering the third mixture.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the gold nanoprisms are single crystalline.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the surfactant in one or more of the first growth solution, second growth solution, or third growth solution is at least 90% saturated at about 25° C.

16. A method of producing gold nanoprisms comprising

a) admixing a suspension of gold seed nanoparticles and a first growth solution to form a first mixture, wherein the gold seed nanoparticles have a diameter of about 3 to about 10 nm, wherein the volume ratio of first growth to suspension solution is at least 2:1, and the first growth solution comprises:

HAuCl 4 or a potassium, calcium, sodium, or lithium salt thereof; sodium hydroxide; ascorbic acid; and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, wherein the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide has a concentration in the first growth solution of at least 80% saturation at about 25° C.;

b) admixing the first mixture and a second growth solution to form a second mixture, wherein the volume ratio of second growth solution to first mixture is at least 2:1 and wherein the second growth solution comprises:

HAuCl 4 or a potassium, calcium, sodium, or lithium salt thereof; sodium hydroxide; ascorbic acid; and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, wherein the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide has a concentration in the second growth solution of at least 80% saturation at about 25° C.; and

c) admixing the second mixture and a third growth solution to form a third mixture, wherein the volume ratio of third growth solution to second mixture is at least 2:1 and wherein the third growth solution comprises:

HAuCl 4 or a potassium, calcium, sodium, or lithium salt thereof; sodium hydroxide; ascorbic acid; and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, wherein the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide has a concentration in the third growth solution of at least 80% saturation at about 25° C., and

wherein the gold nanoprisms are triangular or a combination of triangular and spherical and are essentially free of rods, cubes, and branched structures, and the triangular nanoprisms have at least one edge length of about 100 to about 400 nm.