I have the Gold nanoparticles, 20 nm, supplied in 0.1 mM PBS, 95%, OD1, 524 nm absorption (Cat. No. J67318.xx). Why does the gold nanoparticle solution turn violet when I add salt-containing buffer?
The normal color of the gold nanoparticles is red. Due to repulsive forces arising from the surface charge of gold nanoparticles, an energy barrier must be overcome for individual particles to interact. When no, or a small, amount of electrolytes such as NaCl are present, this energy barrier is too strong for interaction to occur between particles. However, once NaCl is added, this energy barrier is reduced and allows the gold nanoparticles to interact and aggregate. This aggregation causes a phenomenon called "surface-plasmon coupling" which changes the adsorption maximum of light to a higher wavelength, resulting in a change in color of the solution.
My Gold nanoparticles, 20 nm, supplied in 0.1 mM PBS, 95%, OD1, 524 nm absorption (Cat. No. J67318.xx) settles out of solution upon storage. Is this normal?
Settling of gold nanoparticles on the bottom of the bottle is normal and is especially common for larger sized particles, which settle at a greater speed. Settling does not affect the performance of the particles. Prior to use, we recommend swirling the solution to properly disperse your gold nanoparticles.