No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
We have studied precipitation of noble metals with a view to extending these synthetic processes to other metals. In this paper we discuss the synthesis of gold clusters on the surface of oxide fine particles (in the range 60–100nm). The influence of pH of the solution, the concentration of metal and the reducing agent are discussed. The size distribution of the precipitated gold clusters, determined by transmission electron microscopy, are around 2–10 nm. The interface between the gold clusters and oxide has been investigated by HRTEM. Optical measurements of the zirconia supported gold clusters shows a significant shift in the plasmon resonance. A model based on effective medium theory is proposed taking into account the high refractive index of zirconia.