Effect of experimental conditions on size control of Au nanoparticles synthesized by atmospheric microplasma electrochemistry

Atmospheric microplasma electrochemistry was utilized to synthesize Au nanoparticles (NPs). The synthesized Au NPs were investigated as a function of reduction current, solution temperature, and stirring (or not) by using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorbance and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was illustrated that high current promoted the growth of Au NPs with small size, and more Au NPs with large size were synthesized as a rise of temperature. The Au NPs often with small size were synthesized as a result of stirring. The production rate, the electrostatic repulsion, and the residence time of the Au NPs at the interfacial region play an important role in the growth of Au NPs. The results shed light upon the roadmap to control the size and particle size distribution (PSD) of Au NPs synthesized by atmospheric microplasma electrochemistry.