Agglomeration compaction promotes corrosion of gold nanoparticles

Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly being used in various areas of human activity. However, the degradation mechanism of nanobodies in harsh environments is still a puzzle for theory and experiment. We report here the results of optical spectroscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis, quantifying agglomeration and sizing of 50 nm citrate stabilized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in HCl solutions containing H₂O₂. The mechanism of a consecutive corrosion reaction of GNPs is discussed within the framework of the near-field approach. We found that the disappearance of single nanoparticles from a suspension does not occur due to their dissolution per se, but is a consequence of the formation of aggregates. The neutralization of electrostatic shielding at high ionic strength allows gold nanoparticles to approach the subnanometer distance within the region of capping defects, at which the Casimir and van der Waals attractive forces dominate. It is suggested that electric field fluctuations in the confined space between highly conductive gold nanoparticles cause complexant-stimulated loss of metal from the core in the contact area. Going beyond the charge screening limitations by constraining the reaction space and reducing the double electrical layer thickness allows for chemical processes flow along otherwise not accessible reaction pathways.