Missing Piece of the Mechanism of the Turkevich Method: The Critical Role of Citrate Protonation

Abstract

This contribution investigates the growth mechanism of the Turkevich method. The experimental results provide the missing piece of the mechanistic puzzle which enables the actual control of particle growth in the commonly used Turkevich method. Applying the gained knowledge, the boundary conditions for a successful Turkevich synthesis are deduced. Moreover, the conditions under which the Turkevich method is highly reproducible are derived. Following these conditions, the Turkevich synthesis is modified to reveal small monodisperse particles with an unprecedented reproducibility of ±0.1 nm.