A Single Step Synthesis and Characterization of Nanowires & Nanospheres for Catalytic Applications

Nanoparticles are of immense interest due to their potency for a wide range of applications. Inorganic metals such as gold have been extensively used for catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol in presence of NaBH4. p-Nitrophenol is an environmental and biological toxic agent which is widely used in industries for a variety of purposes. Here, we report a single step, biofriendly synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with the help of a fluorescent dye called rhodamine-6G. We were successfully able to form AuNPs of different morphology i.e. gold nanowires and nanospheres by varying the concentration of rhodamine-6G. The synthesized gold nanostructures were characterized using transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy that proved the formation of rhodamine-6G containing gold nanostructures. Catalytic activity in reducing p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol was assessed and compared for similar concentration of rhodamine-6G gold nanowires and nanospheres using UVVis spectroscopy. Finally, using the spectroscopic data, rate constant (k) was calculated and compared for individual nanostructures to determine the effect of rhodamine AuNPs morphology on catalytic reduction activity