Synthesis of Gold Nanoanisotrops Using Dioscorea bulbifera Tuber Extract

Biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles employing plant extracts and thereby development of an environmentally benign process is an important branch of nanotechnology. Here, the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Dioscorea bulbifera tuber extract (DBTE) as the reducing agent is reported. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy confirmed the reduction of gold ions to AuNPs. The anisotropic nanoparticles consist of a mixture of gold nanotriangles, nanoprisms, nanotrapezoid, and spheres. The kinetics of particle formation was time dependent and was enhanced by the increase of temperature from 6 degrees C to 50 degrees C, the optimum being 50 degrees C. The optimum concentration of chloroauric acid was found to be 1 mM. Complete reduction of the metal ions within 5 hours by DBTE highlights the development of a novel ecofriendly route of biological synthesis of gold nanoparticles. This is the first paper on synthesis of gold nanoparticles using DBTE.