Gold, as a topic, is a multifaceted subject spanning materials science, chemistry, physics, and economic geology, encompassing the element’s electronic structure (5d¹⁰6s¹), exceptional corrosion resistance, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and relativistic effects underlying its characteristic color and chemical behavior. Research topics include nanoscale gold (e.g., plasmonic nanoparticles with tunable optical resonances), heterogeneous catalysis on gold surfaces, crystal defects and microstructure in bulk and thin films, and ore-forming processes governing its geochemical distribution. Gold is also studied in contexts such as bioconjugation, sensing, microelectronics interconnects, and surface functionalization via self-assembled monolayers, making it a central material in both fundamental and applied research.
Earth's "gold kitchen" lies deep beneath the seafloor. Island arcs, whose volcanoes form above subduction zones where one oceanic plate sinks beneath another, are often particularly rich in gold. The reasons for this have ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 1, 2026
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103
A new study led by Prof. Xiao Wenjiao from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences sheds light on the ore-forming process and key mechanisms of the gold deposit in the South Tianshan ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 6, 2026
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24
By changing the physical structure of gold at the nanoscale, researchers can drastically change how the material interacts with light—and, as a result, its electronic and optical properties. This is shown by a study from ...
Nanophysics
Feb 2, 2026
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46
Gold is generally associated with pyrite (iron disulfide, FeS2), and pyrite-induced gold precipitation is critical to the formation of high-grade gold deposits. However, the role of pyrite in precipitating gold from fluids ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 26, 2026
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27
Gold nanorods are promising photocatalysts that can use light energy to drive chemical reactions—such as converting CO₂ into usable fuels or producing hydrogen from water. In this process, the nanorods act like tiny antennas ...
Nanophysics
Jan 15, 2026
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63
Sophisticated new chemical analysis of gases trapped in rocks for millions of years has cast new light on the origin of the gold deposits beneath Scotland and Ireland. The finding, made by team of scientists led by Professor ...
Earth Sciences
Dec 11, 2025
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25
Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) have definitively resolved a two-decade-long controversy regarding the direction of electron spin on the surface of gold.
Condensed Matter
Nov 18, 2025
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68
Researchers from Japan have pioneered a novel, sustainable method for synthesizing functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using microalgae. The work is published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
Bio & Medicine
Nov 11, 2025
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28
When dust sticks to a surface or a lizard sits on a ceiling, it is due to "nature's invisible glue." Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have now discovered a quick and easy way to study the hidden forces ...
Nanophysics
Oct 23, 2025
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50
In a recent study published in the journal Biogeosciences, scientists have confirmed that mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is contaminating food crops not through the soil, as previously ...
Ecology
Oct 20, 2025
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