Facile synthesis of Ag and Au nanoparticles utilizing chitosan as a mediator agent.

We present here a facile route for the synthesis of crystal Ag and Au nanoparticles on the basis of chitosan as a mediator agent under quiescent conditions. The resulting Ag nanoparticles displayed controllable structural and optical properties depending on the experimental parameters. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) study combined with zeta potential measurement disclosed that the amino groups were bound to the particles, which was accountable for the stability of nanoparticles. The Ag and Au nanoparticles prepared in our present method is a promising candidate for applications in catalysis, antimicrobial and surface-enhanced Raman scattering.