Who build the first ever nanoparticle?

It is believed that the use of nanotechnology is aged back to centuries. However thousands years ago they build things without knowing what is happening in the bottom line. Greek glasses, specially the Lycurgus Cup is considered to unknowingly use nano scale developments. Anyway the synthesis of nanoparticle with the intention of making nano particle is still surprisingly old. It was  1857 by Faraday by reducing aqueous solution of (Na[AuCl4]) with phosphorus in carbon disulphide [1]. After centuries, when electron microscopy was developed it was found that Faraday's attempts were extraordinary with achievement of 4~8 nm range of nano-particle in solution [2] .  This quite common achievement for gold nanoparticle as gold nanoparticle demonstrate less aggregations than other metals such as platinum and specially palladium. However, Faradays's achievement back in 1857 can not be underestimate. So it can conclude,  Faraday is the first ever person to synthesis nanoparticles and published it properly to the scientific world.

References
1. M. Faraday, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, 1857, 147, 145–181.
2. J. Turkevich, P. C. Stevenson and J. Hillier, Discuss. Faraday
Soc., 1951, 11, 55–75.

 

The paper which revealed the Faraday's achievement