Synthesis of bimetallic gold/silver nanoparticles via in situ seeding

Abstract

A way of synthesizing bimetallic gold/silver nanoparticles with in situ seeding initiated by the addition of sodium borohydride is proposed. The obtained nanoparticles are studied by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Changes in the optical density spectra of the nanoparticles during their coagulation are investigated. The technique allows the rapid acquisition of nontoxic SERS-active nanoparticles with maximum SERS enhancement factor about 10⁵ in the near infrared range for Raman shifts typical for biological objects such as bacterial cells and spores.