Qualitative comparison of the seed-mediated versus seed-less synthesis methods of branching gold nanoparticles.

Seed-based syntheses	Seed-less syntheses
Defined growth template from precursor seeds	A more sensitive nucleation phase
Greater control over particle size and morphology	Lesser control over particle size and morphology
Relatively insensitive to reaction condition changes	Highly sensitive to reaction condition changes
Not one-pot reactions	One-pot reaction
Often must utilize harsh reagents	Can easily rely on “green” reagents