Last year’s work (1-step self assembly technique) have demonstrated that it is possible to synthesize gold/gold sulfide nanoparticles using garlic extract from the evidence of broad absorbance peak in the range 750-850 nm and triangular shape SEM images.
This year senior students will continue the work done by last year students by enhancing the absorbance peak of the gold/gold sulfide particles obtained from the extract of garlic paste using state of the art DiaSynth technique in collaboration with University of Louisville. Literature1 reveals that this technique minimizes the production of gold colloidal nanoparticles and enhances the near infrared gold/gold sulfide particles to 70 – 95% for cancer therapy. They will also try to use extract of tobacco plant which is a native to our state. Tobacco plant will be obtained from the agricultural department and use their science lab to process and extract the solution. Chemical composition of the extract will be determined from the atomic spectra and Fourier Transform spectra available at University of Kentucky ASTEN research center.
Students will use equipments available in their science lab to synthesize gold nanoparticles and record the UV-Vis spectra. They will perform experiments to determine refractive index using He-Ne laser. Scanning Electron Microscope images will be recorded using University (UK & UL) facilities.
Students will use MiePlot4211 program based on Mie Theory to fit the experimental UV-visible spectra to obtain physical parameters.
1A novel high yield processes for gold sulfide nanoparticle synthesis via shifting equilibrium of self-assembly reaction (2012), Electronic Theses and Dissertations.