Synthesis of various crystalline gold nanostructures in water: The polyoxometalate beta-[H4PMo12O40](3-) as the reducing and stabilizing agent

This paper reports a facile, one-pot, room-temperature synthesis, in water, of various Au nanostructures using, as reducing agent, the mixed-valence polyoxometalate beta-H-3[H4P(Mo-V)(4)(Mo-VI)(8)O-40](3-). By modifying the initial concentrations of the polyoxometalate and chloroauric acid, the morphology of the synthesized Au nanostructure can be tuned. The whole process is a green-chemistry-type synthesis of Au-0 nanostructures.