Black Gold

• Using gold nanoparticles Indian scientists have developed a new material called “black gold”, which can potentially be used for applications ranging from solar energy harvesting to desalinating seawater, according to a study.

Black Gold

• To develop the material, the team from Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) rearranged size and gaps between gold nanoparticles.
• It has unique properties such as capacity to absorb light and carbon dioxide (CO2).
• Gold does not have these properties therefore ‘black gold’ is being called a new material.
• In appearance it is black, hence the name ‘black gold’, according to the findings published in Chemical Science
• The researchers varied inter-particle distance between gold nanoparticles using a cycle-by-cycle growth approach by optimizing the nucleation-growth step.
• They used dendritic fibrous nanosilica, whose fibers were used as the deposition site for gold nanoparticles.

Features of Black Gold

• One of the most fascinating properties of the new material is its ability to absorb the entire visible and near-infrared region of solar light.
• It does so because of inter-particle plasmonic coupling as well as heterogeneity in nanoparticles size.
• Black gold could also act as a catalyst and could convert CO2 into methane at atmospheric pressure and temperature using solar energy.
• If we develop an artificial tree with leaves made out of back gold, it can perform artificial photosynthesis, capturing carbon dioxide and converting it into fuel and other useful chemicals.
• The efficiency of conversion of CO2 into fuel, at present, is low but researchers believe it could be improved in future.
• The material can be used as a nano-heater to covert seawater into potable water with good efficiency, the researchers said.