Facile "green" synthesis, characterization, and catalytic function of beta-D-glucose-stabilized Au nanocrystals

We present a straightforward, economically viable, and "green" approach for the synthesis and stabilization of relatively monodisperse Au nanocrystals with an average diameter of 8.2 nm (standard deviation, SD=2.3 nm) by using nontoxic and renewable biochemical of beta-D-glucose and by simply adjusting the pH environment in aqueous medium. The beta-D-glucose acts both as reducing agent and capping agent for the synthesis and stabilization of Au nanocrystals in the system. The UV/Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed to systematically characterize Au nanocrystals synthesized. Additionally, it is shown that these beta-D-glucose-stabilized Au nanocrystals function as effective catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH4 (otherwise unfeasible if only the strong reducing agent NaBH4 is employed), which was reflected by the UV/Vis spectra of the catalytic reaction kinetics.