Abstract: Currently,gold nanoparticles are attracting great attention due to their unique optical,electronic,catalytic properties and potential applications in future nanoetectronics.This article provides an overview of current research into the synthesis and self-assembly of gold nanoparticles.The concrete contents mainly include:several efficient preparative methods,the characteristic of different methods,the growth mechanism of gold nanoparticles,several assembling strategies and the mechanism of self-assembly.Finally,the challenges,gold nanoparticles as novel materials,are also discussed.