Fractal gold nanostructures produced by the spontaneous reduction of chloroaurate ions in thermally evaporated hexadecylaniline thin films

The formation of gold nanoparticles by the reduction of chloroaurate ions entrapped in thermally evaporated hexadecylaniline films is described. Simple immersion of the hexadecylaniline films in aqueous chloroauric acid solution leads to the electrostatic entrapment of the gold ions in the film and is accompanied by their spontaneous in situ reduction by the matrix hexadecylaniline molecules. The gold particles thus formed show a fractal structure of nanoscale dimensions characteristic of diffusion-limited aggregation of gold nanoparticles. Possible reasons for the formation of fractal nanostructures in the host matrix are discussed.