Rapid synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoflowers with tailored surface textures with the assistance of amino acid molecules

Abstract

Au particles with several unique morphologies (e.g., flower-shaped and confieto-shaped) are successfully synthesized through a chemical reduction with the assistance of amino acid molecules (gum Arabic). The highly branched nanostructures of the obtained Au particles show an enhanced SERS effect. Furthermore, the Au nanoflowers exhibit excellent biocompatibility to human bladder cancer cells T-24, which shows their potential in biomedical applications.