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Monday, 9th March 2009 (3883 views)

A method of producing gold nanoparticles from natural elements has been discovered by Venture Labs.

The work by the Asian company may bring environmental benefits to the use of nanotechnology, as natural materials such as plant extracts, soya beans, water and gold salts can now be used to manufacturer the tiny pieces of the precious metal.

"Typically, a producer must use a variety of synthetic or man-made chemicals to produce gold nanoparticles," Kenneth Lee, professor of radiology and physics at Ventura Labs in Korea stated.

He added that previous manufacturing of gold nanoparticles relied on the production of artificial chemicals, whereas the new process can have "far-reaching impacts in technology and medicine" due to the fact that it uses natural elements.

Gold nanotechnology was recently used in a cancer treatment technique developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD student Geoffrey von Maltzahn, who has been awarded the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, along with a cheque for $30,000 (£21,000).

 

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