Synthesis of gold and platinum nanoparticles using tetraaniline as reducing and phase transfer agent - A brief study and their role in the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose

A one-pot synthesis of An and Pt nanoparticles by the spontaneous reduction of chloroaurate and chloroplatinate ions using tetraaniline molecules has been elucidated. The importance of this work is that tetraaniline acts as a multifunctional molecule that accomplishes the complexation of aqueous chloroaurate and chloroplatinate ions by phase transferring them to organic medium and their subsequent reduction to yield An and Pt nanoparticles in organic phase. The metal reduction is followed by polymerization of the amine to yield polvaniline, which subsequently caps the An and Pt nanoparticles. Various analytical techniques have been used for probing the process of reduction of auric and platinic metal precursors like UV-vis, X-ray diffractogram (XRD) and transmission electron micrographic (TEM) analysis. Such prepared nanoparticles are utilized for the fabrication of novel modified electrodes towards the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.