Gold nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by solvothermal method using SnCl2 and NaBH4 as reducing agents. X-ray diffraction studies show highly crystalline and monophasic nature of the gold nanoparticles with face centred cubic structure. The transmission electron microscopic studies show the formation of nearly spherical gold nanoparticles of average size of 15 nm using SnCl2, however, NaBH4 produced highly uniform, monodispersed and spherical gold nanoparticles of average grain size of 7 nm. A high surface area of 329 m(2)/g for 7 nm and 269 m(2)/g for 15 nm gold nanoparticles was observed. UV-vis studies assert the excitations over the visible region due to transverse and longitudinal surface plasmon modes. The gold nanoparticles exhibit excellent size dependant antifungal activity and greater biocidal action against Candida isolates for 7 nm sized gold nanoparticles restricting the transmembrane H+ efflux of the Candida species than 15 nm sized gold nanoparticles. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.