Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of Au nanobelts and nanowires

Au one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, including nanobelts and nanowires, have been synthesized in an ethylene glycol (EG)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) system by a simple and convenient seed-mediated growth method. The nanobelts and nanowires have aspect ratios up to 600, a length distribution ranging from several to tens of microns, and an average width of 100 nm. In this method, we used an ultrasonic process to promote the formation of Au seeds, which largely determines the morphology of final product. Additionally, we have found that the ultrasonic process significantly increases the fabrication yield of 1D nanostructures. Further experimental results show strong polarization dependence of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) on a single Au 1D nanostructure. This convenient, versatile and low-cost synthesis method can be applied to 1D nanostructures composed from a range of materials, making it widely applicable to many areas of modern science and technology.