Pear fruit extract-assisted room-temperature biosynthesis of gold nanoplates

In this paper, a single-step room-temperature biosynthetic route for producing gold nanostructures using pear fruit is reported. The alkaline conditions of the pear fruit extract induced gold nanoparticles with plate-like morphologies. Successfully biosynthesized triangular and hexagonal nanoplates were observed, elegantly assembled with hexagonal gold nanoparticles. Nanostructure size, crystal nature, purity and morphologies were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The edge lengths of the nanostructures ranged from 200 to 500 nm. Using AFM analysis, the nanohexagons were observed to have a thickness ranging from 12 to 20 nm. The XRD patterns showed a (1 1 1) preferential orientation of the nanostructures. The XPS and EDAX analysis also confirmed the presence of pure-phase Au without any substantial impurities. The preparation of nanostructured gold particles using pear fruit provides an environmentally friendly option, as compared to currently available chemical and/or physical methods.