Surface chemical states of gold nanoparticles prepared using the solution-plasma method in a CsCl aqueous solution

摘要： In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) prepared in a 5 mM CsCl aqueous solution using the solution‐plasma method are characterized via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation (SR‐XPS). The particle diameter is measured over the process time via TEM. During the solution‐plasma process, small particles of 2.1 to 2.2‐nm diameter are generated in the CsCl aqueous solution; these particles then enlarge via Ostwald ripening over time until they reach an equilibrium size of ~13 nm after 36 days. In addition, the surface chemical states of the AuNPs are characterized at different depths via SR‐XPS. The SR‐XPS measurements obtained using incident X‐ray energy (hν) of 945.0 eV revealed that Cs─Au, Cl─Au, and Cs─Cl─Au bonds are present 1.2 nm below the surface. The measurements obtained at an incident X‐ray energy of 2515.0 eV showed that Cs─Cl─Au bonding is also present 2.5 nm below the surface, indicating that Cs and Cl strongly interact with Au. The TEM and SR‐XPS measurements revealed that 2 processes occur cyclically during the growth process via Ostwald ripening: (i) the Cs and Cl in the aqueous solution adsorb on the AuNP surface and (ii) Au atoms subsequently bond to the AuNPs surface.