The work presented in this dissertation is a composite of experiments in the growth of gold nanoparticles with specific optical properties of interest. The goal is to synthesize these gold nanoparticles using soybean extract for not only shape control, but for propensity as a biocompatible delivery system. The optical properties of these nanoparticles has found great application in coloring glass during the Roman empire and, over the centuries, has grown into its own research field in

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... ns of nanoparticulate materials. Many of the current functions include use in ix List of Abbreviations CTAB -cetyltrimethylammonium bromide GNPs -Gold nanoparticles FWHM -Full width half maximum HPLC -high performance liquid chromatography LC-MS -liquid chromatography -mass spectrometry MS -mass spectrometry PC -phosphatidylcholine PE -phosphatidylethanolamine PC 30 -Soy extract containing 30% phosphatidylcholine PC 95 -Soy extract purified to contain 95% phosphatidylcholine TBE -tris boric acid ethylenediamine buffer TEM -transmission electron microscopy TLC -thin layer chromatography UV-Vis -UV-visible spectrometry