Hydrolytic Decomposition of Tetramethylammonium Bis(trifluoromethyl)aurate(I), [NMe4][Au(CF3)(2)]: A Route for the Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles in Aqueous Medium

Monodisperse gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were obtained by hydrolytic decomposition of a new molecular precursor, tetra-methylammonium. bis(trifluoromethyl)aurate(I), [NMe4] [Au(CF3)(2)], which has been characterised by spectroscopic and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. On account of the simple and high-yield synthesis, the title compound represents a versatile synthon and an alternative to the commonly used chloroauric acid (HAuCl4).