%0 Book part %A Bali Henrik %D 2018 %G No linguistic content %B Proceedings of the International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems %@ 978-963-306-623-2 %T Study of the composition and size distribution of gold-containing bimetallic nanoparticles synthesized in a spark discharge generator %U http://acta.bibl.u-szeged.hu/56338/1/proceedings_of_isaep_2018_244-247.pdf %X Nanotechnology is one of the most dynamically growing fields of science, which requires the production of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) for various applications. Chemical synthesis procedures were dominating the field for many years, but physical procedures, that are based on laser or discharge ablation, are becoming more and more popular nowadays. One of these ablation-based methods is spark discharge generation, which is a versatile method for the preparation of mono- or bimetallic nanoparticles. In a spark discharge generator (SDG), a high voltage oscillating discharge is produced between two electrodes made of at least moderately conducting material. The erosion of the electrodes produce an atomic vapor in the spark gap, which is carried away by a gas flow. Nucleation and coagulation processes lead to nano-sized aggregates, which are then compacted to form spherical nanoparticles (NP). This method produces high purity NPs. SDGs can also be run continuously, thus industrial rate production is also possible. Control of the particle properties (e.g. concentration and size) can be achieved by tuning the operating conditions of the generator. The SDG method can also be considered cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. The goal of the present work was to study how the operating parameters of SDGs influence the composition and size distribution NPs in the case of certain bimetallic particles (BNPs). In particular, we intended to study the influence of the electrode polarity, gap size and compaction on Au-Ag and Au-W particles.