Uniform and stable polymer protected spherical gold nanoparticles were synthesized using glycerol as reducing agent. Further it was observed that the morphology of the particles varied from spherical to triangular prismatic gold nanoparticles when the reaction was changed from normal mode of reflux condition to microwave mode (MW) of heating. Further a brief mechanism relating the formation of prisms with the orientation of polymer and nucleation period has been discussed. Formation of triangular prismatic and spherical gold nanoparticles were characterised using UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.