Rapid Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Tannic Acid-Capped Gold Nanoparticles for SERS Applications
7 affiliations
- 1Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Natural Resources, Institute for Advanced Study in Technology, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 758307, Vietnam
- 2Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 758307, Vietnam
- 3Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
- 4Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
- 5R Institute of Newly-Emerging Science Design (INSD), The University of Osaka, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- 6University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University, VNU Hoa Lac Campus, Hoa Lac Commune, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
- 7University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Abstract
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are attractive substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) because of their strong visible plasmon resonance, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. However, the enhancement they provide depends on how accessible the gold surface is to the analyte. Tannic acid (TA) is an effective green reductant and stabilizer for AuNPs. Conventional TA-based syntheses, however, require large doses and boiling, leaving a dense organic shell on the particles. Herein, an argon cold atmospheric-pressure plasma jet combined with a low dose of TA reduced HAuCl4 to AuNPs at room temperature without additional chemical reductants. Well-dispersed colloids of quasi-spherical, crystalline particles about 10 nm in size formed with 25-fold less TA than was required without plasma. In situ UV–Vis spectroscopy showed that low-dose TA largely removed the induction period of plasma reduction and that particle growth continued after the discharge was switched off. This result suggests that plasma supplies most of the reducing power, whereas TA stabilizes the nascent nuclei. XPS confirmed metallic gold, with a small positive Au 4f shift consistent with surface-bound TA. The lightly capped AuNPs gave stronger methylene blue SERS signals than both TA-free plasma AuNPs and AuNPs prepared with 25-fold more TA. This room-temperature route therefore provides clean colloidal AuNPs as promising SERS substrates for chemical sensing.
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BibTeX
@article{huyen2026rapid,
title = {{Rapid Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Tannic Acid-Capped Gold Nanoparticles for SERS Applications}},
author = {Nguyen Thi Huyen and Nguyen Quynh Chi and Nguyen Thu Loan and Simon Chouteau and Jarl Tynan Collado and Pierre Vinchon and Vu Ngoc Linh and Man Minh Tan and Nguyen Hoang Tung and Nguyen Thanh Tung and Nguyen Nhat Linh},
journal = {Nanomaterials},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nano16211386},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/21/1386},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Rapid Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Tannic Acid-Capped Gold Nanoparticles for SERS Applications
AU - Nguyen Thi Huyen
AU - Nguyen Quynh Chi
AU - Nguyen Thu Loan
AU - Simon Chouteau
AU - Jarl Tynan Collado
AU - Pierre Vinchon
AU - Vu Ngoc Linh
AU - Man Minh Tan
AU - Nguyen Hoang Tung
AU - Nguyen Thanh Tung
AU - Nguyen Nhat Linh
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Nanomaterials
DO - 10.3390/nano16211386
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/21/1386
AB - Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are attractive substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) because of their strong visible plasmon resonance, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. However, the enhancement they provide depends on how accessible the gold surface is to the analyte. Tannic acid (TA) is an effective green reductant and stabilizer for AuNPs. Conventional TA-based syntheses, however, require large doses and boiling, leaving a dense organic shell on the particles. Herein, an argon cold atmospheric-pressure plasma jet combined with a low dose of TA reduced HAuCl4 to AuNPs at room temperature without additional chemical reductants. Well-dispersed colloids of quasi-spherical, crystalline particles about 10 nm in size formed with 25-fold less TA than was required without plasma. In situ UV–Vis spectroscopy showed that low-dose TA largely removed the induction period of plasma reduction and that particle growth continued after the discharge was switched off. This result suggests that plasma supplies most of the reducing power, whereas TA stabilizes the nascent nuclei. XPS confirmed metallic gold, with a small positive Au 4f shift consistent with surface-bound TA. The lightly capped AuNPs gave stronger methylene blue SERS signals than both TA-free plasma AuNPs and AuNPs prepared with 25-fold more TA. This room-temperature route therefore provides clean colloidal AuNPs as promising SERS substrates for chemical sensing.
SN - 2079-4991
ER -