Synthesis of substrate-bound seaweed-like Au nanowires with amino silane coupling agents.

A seedless method has been developed to synthesize seaweed-like Au nanowires on a Au substrate. The amino silane coupling agent 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane was employed to form the active surfaces that facilitate the one dimensional growth. The growth mechanism and controlling parameters were investigated. Furthermore, the compatibility of this synthesis with a colloidal Au substrate was also demonstrated.