Natural gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract The nanoparticulate gold component in ore deposits and exploration samples is yet to be fully realised but new methods of characterisation and analysis, access to high-grade gold samples and a strong focus on Au nanoparticles in the manufacturing sector provide a new impetus to quantify its significance. In geology, nanoparticles are increasingly recognised as a fundamental step in geochemical reactions, a critical component in weathering processes, in biomineralisation and metal migration. In ore systems, the nanoparticulate population of Au is a significant factor in the formation of economic deposits as a refractory component locked up in sulphides, in secondary supergene enrichments, the formation of surface geochemical anomalies and in the formation of high-grade accumulations. A better understanding and characterisation of this nanoparticulate gold could unlock hidden resources in known deposits through easier beneficiation and processing but also assist in the discovery of new deposits through advanced exploration methods.