Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Surfactant-Free and D-Fructose-Coated Gold Nanoparticles for Multiple Applications

Abstract

The excellent optical properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) make them promising for numerous applications. Herein, we present a facile synthesis of both surfactant-free (𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠) and non-toxic D-fructose (DF)-coated gold nanoparticles (𝐷𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠𝐷𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠) via the plasma–liquid interactions (PLIs) method. Moreover, we demonstrate that both 𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠 and 𝐷𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠𝐷𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠 are potential candidates for trace detection via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆) and catalytic degradation of toxic dyes. However, 𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠 have superior 𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆 and catalytic performance compared to the 𝐷𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠𝐷𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠 due to their surfactant-free nature. Moreover, 𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠𝑆𝐹−𝐴𝑢𝑁𝑃𝑠 have also been shown to quench the fluorescence of analyte molecules, making their 𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆-based trace detection more efficient. In particular, 𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑆 enhancement of rhodamine 6G (𝑅6𝐺𝑅6𝐺) and catalytic reduction of a toxic dye methylene blue (𝑀𝐵𝑀𝐵) have been explored.