Eco-friendly Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Camellia sinensis Phytoextracts

Biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles using plant materials involves a fairly rapid reduction of metallic materials. The reduction potential of phytochemicals in a tea extract to reduce gold salt (NaAuCl4) to the highly homogenous gold nanoparticles is presented. Phytoextracts were derived from the mixture of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and Camellia sinensis var. assamica (green tea) leaves. The appearance of the phytoextract's sloping absorption peak with Au salt at the wavelength range 530-550 nm corresponded to the absorption of gold nanoparticles. Obtained nanoparticles were purified from phytoextract excess by centrifugation. Then they were studied by Raman and FTIR spectroscopy and AFM. It was found that the size of produced gold nanoparticles was in the range from 3 nm to 10 nm.