Plasmonic gold nanoparticles using a levitating drop reactor. Credit: Nature Communications4, Article number: 2400 doi:10.1038/ncomms3400 A team of researchers from several research institutions in Germany has found that certain types of nanoparticles can be created using levitated drops of heated water—Leidenfrost drops. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the team describes how they created metal polymer hybrid foams and other nanoparticles using nothing more than water on a heated substrate.   Most everyone has seen Leidenfrost drops in action, they occur when dumping a small amount of water into an already heated pan—the drops that form slide around as if there is no friction due to the steam that builds up beneath them. In this new effort, the researchers noted that not only does water turn to steam in Leidenfrost drops but it appears that positive ions gather in that steam leaving negative ions to collect in the liquid above. If melted metal is added to the mix, its positive ions are attracted to thenegative ions in the liquid where they react and solidify into certain types of nanoparticles. Using this technique the team found they were able to create nanoporous black gold as well as different types of nanoparticle based foams and

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