Rapid transformation from spherical nanoparticles, nanorods, cubes, or bipyramids to triangular prisms of silver with PVP, citrate, and H2O2

Design and catalytic application of Ag-Au nanoprisms: enhancing A3 coupling efficiency with minimal gold concentration

A novel bimetallic Ag-Au nanoprism incorporating trace levels of gold (ppm range) was synthesized via a wet-chemical method. The material was comprehensively characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). This new nanostructure exhibits a remarkable synergistic interaction between the silver nanoprism and meager amounts of gold, resulting in highly efficient catalytic activity for the A3 coupling reaction involving aldehydes, alkynes, and amines. The reaction proceeds efficiently in water at 60 °C, accommodating a broad substrate scope and showcasing its versatility. Notably, the catalytic system achieves excellent performance even at ultralow gold loadings (80 ppm), highlighting its cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrates robust reusability, retaining its activity over four consecutive cycles in aqueous media.

Unlocking Single Particle Anisotropy in Real-Time for Photoelectrochemistry Processes at the Nanoscale

The key to rationally and rapidly designing high-performance materials is the monitoring and comprehension of dynamic processes within individual particles in real-time, particularly to gain insight into the anisotropy of nanoparticles. The intrinsic property of nanoparticles typically varies from one crystal facet to the next under realistic working conditions. Here, we introduce the operando collision electrochemistry to resolve the single silver nanoprisms (Ag NPs) anisotropy in photoelectrochemistry. We directly identify the effect of anisotropy on the plasmonic-assisted electrochemistry at the single NP/electrolyte interface. The statistical collision frequency shows that heterogeneous diffusion coefficients among crystal facets facilitate Ag NPs to undergo direction-dependent mass transfer toward the gold ultramicroelectrode. Subsequently, the current amplitudes of transient events indicate that the anisotropy enables variations in dynamic interfacial electron transfer behaviors during photothermal processes. The results presented here demonstrate that the measurement precision of collision electrochemistry can be extended to the sub-nanoparticle level, highlighting the potential for high-throughput material screening with comprehensive kinetics information at the nanoscale.

Insights into the physico-chemical and biological characterization of sodium lignosulfonate - silver nanosystems designed for wound management

Chronic wounds represent one of the complications that might occur from the disruption of wound healing process. Recently, there has been a rise in interest in employing nanotechnology to develop novel strategies for accelerating wound healing. The aim of the present study was to use a green synthesis method to obtain AgNPs/NaLS systems useful for wounds management and perform an in-depth investigation of their behavior during and post-synthesis as well as of their biological properties. The colloids obtained from silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and commercial sodium lignosulfonate (NaLS) in a single-pot aqueous procedure have been fully characterized by UV-Vis, FT-IR, DLS, TEM, XRD, and XPS to evaluate the synthesis efficiency and to provide new insights in the process of AgNPs formation and NaLS behavior in aqueous solutions. The effects of various concentrations of NaLS (0-16 mg/mL) and AgNO3 (0-20 mM) and of two different temperatures on AgNPs formation have been analyzed. Although the room temperature is feasible for AgNPs synthesis, the short mixing at 70 °C significantly increases the speed of nanoparticle formation and storage stability. In all experimental conditions AgNPs of 20-40 nm in size have been obtained. The antimicrobial activity assessed quantitatively on clinical and reference bacterial strains, both in suspension and biofilm growth state, revealed a broad antimicrobial spectrum, the most intensive inhibitory effect being noticed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli strains. The AgNP/NaLS enhanced the NO extracellular release, potentially contributing to the microbicidal and anti-adherence activity by protein oxidation. Both AgNP/NaLS and NaLS were non-hemolytic (hemolytic index<5%, 2.26 ± 0.13% hemolysis) and biocompatible (102.17 ± 3.43 % HaCaT cells viability). The presence of AgNPs increased the antioxidative activity and induced a significant cytotoxicity on non-melanoma skin cancer cells (62.86 ± 8.27% Cal-27 cells viability). Taken together, all these features suggest the multivalent potential of these colloids for the development of novel strategies for wound management, acting by preventing infection-associated complications and supporting the tissue regeneration.

The Influence of Silver Nanoparticle Form on the Toxicity in Freshwater Mussels

The contribution of the form of silver nanomaterials (nAg) towards toxicity in aquatic organisms is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the toxicity of various structures (sphere, cube and prism) of nAg in Dreissena bugensis mussels. Mussels were exposed to increasing concentrations of polyvinyl-coated nAg of the same size for 96 h at 15 °C. They were then analyzed for biophysical changes in the cytoplasm (viscosity, protein aggregation and lipids), neuro-activity (fractal kinetics of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)), oxidative stress (labile zinc (Zn) and lipid peroxidation) and inflammation (arachidonate cyclooxygenase). Although some decreasing effects in protein aggregation were observed, viscosity was more strongly decreased in mussels exposed to spheric and prismatic nAg. The activity of AChE was significantly decreased in the following form-dependent manner: prismatic > cubic > spheric nAg. The fractal dimension of AChE reactions was reduced by all geometries of nAg, while dissolved Ag had no effects. For nanoparticles with the same coating and relative size, spheric nAg produced more significant changes towards the fractal dimension of AChE, while prismatic nAg increased both protein aggregation and viscosity, whereas cubic nAg decreased protein aggregation in the cytoplasm. It is concluded that the geometries of nanoparticles could influence toxicity in aquatic organisms.

Synthesis, Characterization and Biomedical Application of Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been employed in various fields of biotechnology due to their proven properties as an antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agent. AgNPs are generally synthesized through chemical, physical and biological approaches involving a myriad of methods. As each approach confers unique advantages and challenges, a trends analysis of literature for the AgNPs synthesis using different types of synthesis were also reviewed through a bibliometric approach. A sum of 10,278 publications were analyzed on the annual numbers of publication relating to AgNPs and biological, chemical or physical synthesis from 2010 to 2020 using Microsoft Excel applied to the Scopus publication database. Furthermore, another bibliometric clustering and mapping software were used to study the occurrences of author keywords on the biomedical applications of biosynthesized AgNPs and a total collection of 224 documents were found, sourced from articles, reviews, book chapters, conference papers and reviews. AgNPs provides an excellent, dependable, and effective solution for seven major concerns: as antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, bone healing, bone cement, dental applications and wound healing. In recent years, AgNPs have been employed in biomedical sector due to their antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer properties. This review discussed on the types of synthesis, how AgNPs are characterized and their applications in biomedical field.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis for Silver Nanoplates with a High Aspect Ratio

In this work, a simple and rapid synthesis method was developed to prepare silver nanoplates (AgNPLs) with a high aspect ratio. A microwave heating process with a high heating rate and uniform heating was used to promote the silver reduction reaction. Silver nitrate (AgNO₃) was used as the precursor of AgNPLs, and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) played the role of a solvent and reducing agent. Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) with a molecular weight of 29,000 and a PVP/AgNO₃ ratio of 10 were used to control the shape of synthesized AgNPLs. By adjusting the optimal microwave heating parameters, temperature ramping rate, reaction time, and reaction temperature, triangular AgNPLs with high aspect ratios could be produced. The synthesized AgNPLs had an edge length up to 700 nm and a thickness of 35 nm with aspect ratios up to 20. The AgNPLs were also used to produce conductive patterns via pen writing with a conductivity of 2 × 10⁶ S/m to demonstrate the feasibility of applying the synthesized nanomaterials for electronic applications.

Role of Synthetic Plant Extracts on the Production of Silver-Derived Nanoparticles

The main antioxidants present in plant extracts-quercetin, β-carotene, gallic acid, ascorbic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, catechin and scopoletin-are able to synthesize silver nanoparticles when reacting with a Ag NO3 solution. The UV-visible absorption spectrum recorded with most of the antioxidants shows the characteristic surface plasmon resonance band of silver nanoparticles. Nanoparticles synthesised with ascorbic, hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, and gallic acids and scopoletin are spherical. Nanoparticles synthesised with quercetin are grouped together to form micellar structures. Nanoparticles synthesised by β-carotene, were triangular and polyhedral forms with truncated corners. Pentagonal nanoparticles were synthesized with catechin. We used Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to check that the biomolecules coat the synthesised silver nanoparticles. X-ray powder diffractograms showed the presence of silver, AgO, Ag2O, Ag3O4 and Ag2O3. Rod-like structures were obtained with quercetin and gallic acid and cookie-like structures in the nanoparticles obtained with scopoletin, as a consequence of their reactivity with cyanide. This analysis explained the role played by the various agents responsible for the bio-reduction triggered by nanoparticle synthesis in their shape, size and activity. This will facilitate targeted synthesis and the application of biotechnological techniques to optimise the green synthesis of nanoparticles.

Impact of Physico-Chemical Properties of Cellulose Nanocrystal/Silver Nanoparticle Hybrid Suspensions on Their Biocidal and Toxicological Effects

There is a demand for nanoparticles that are environmentally acceptable, but simultaneously efficient and low cost. We prepared silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) grafted on a native bio-based substrate (cellulose nanocrystals, CNCs) with high biocidal activity and no toxicological impact. AgNPs of 10 nm are nucleated on CNCs in aqueous suspension with content from 0.4 to 24.7 wt%. XANES experiments show that varying the NaBH4/AgNO3 molar ratio affects the AgNP oxidation state, while maintaining an fcc structure. AgNPs transition from 10 nm spherical NPs to 300 nm triangular-shaped AgNPrisms induced by H2O2 post-treatment. The 48 h biocidal activity of the hybrid tested on B. Subtilis is intensified with the increase of AgNP content irrespective of the Ag+/Ag0 ratio in AgNPs, while the AgNSphere-AgNPrism transition induces a significant reduction of biocidal activity. A very low minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.016 mg AgNP/mL is determined. A new long-term biocidal activity test (up to 168 h) proved efficiency favorable to the smaller AgNPs. Finally, it is shown that AgNPs have no impact on the phagocytic capacity of mammalian cells.

A review on the green and sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and one-dimensional silver nanostructures

The significance of silver nanostructures has been growing considerably, thanks to their ubiquitous presence in numerous applications, including but not limited to renewable energy, electronics, biosensors, wastewater treatment, medicine, and clinical equipment. The properties of silver nanostructures, such as size, size distribution, and morphology, are strongly dependent on synthesis process conditions such as the process type, equipment type, reagent type, precursor concentration, temperature, process duration, and pH. Physical and chemical methods have been among the most common methods to synthesize silver nanostructures; however, they possess substantial disadvantages and short-comings, especially compared to green synthesis methods. On the contrary, the number of green synthesis techniques has been increasing during the last decade and they have emerged as alternative routes towards facile and effective synthesis of silver nanostructures with different morphologies. In this review, we have initially outlined the most common and popular chemical and physical methodologies and reviewed their advantages and disadvantages. Green synthesis methodologies are then discussed in detail and their advantages over chemical and physical methods have been noted. Recent studies are then reviewed in detail and the effects of essential reaction parameters, such as temperature, pH, precursor, and reagent concentration, on silver nanostructure size and morphology are discussed. Also, green synthesis techniques used for the synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) silver nanostructures have been reviewed, and the potential of alternative green reagents for their synthesis has been discussed. Furthermore, current challenges regarding the green synthesis of 1D silver nanostructures and future direction are outlined. To sum up, we aim to show the real potential of green nanotechnology towards the synthesis of silver nanostructures with various morphologies (especially 1D ones) and the possibility of altering current techniques towards more environmentally friendly, more energy-efficient, less hazardous, simpler, and cheaper procedures.

Chemical Identity of Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) End Groups Impact Shape Evolution During the Synthesis of Ag Nanostructures

Ag nanocubes (AgNCs) are predominantly synthesized by the polyol method, where the solvent (ethylene glycol) is considered the reducing agent and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) the shape-directing agent. An experimental phase diagram for the formation of Ag nanocubes as a function of PVP monomer concentration (C_m) and molecular weight (M_w) demonstrated end groups of PVP impact the final Ag product. Measured rates of the initial Ag⁺ reduction at different PVP C_m and M_w confirmed the reducing effect originates from end-groups. PVP with well-defined aldehyde and hydroxyl end groups lead to the formation of Ag nanocubes and nanowires respectively, indicating the faster reducing agent formed kinetically preferred nanowires. We demonstrate PVP end-groups induce initial reduction of Ag⁺ to form seeds followed by autocatalytic reduction of Ag⁺ by ethylene glycol (and not solvent oxidation products) to form Ag nanostructures. The current study enabled a quantitative description of the role of PVP in nanoparticle shape-control and demonstrates a unique opportunity to design nanostructures by combining nanoparticle synthesis with polymer design to introduce specific physicochemical properties.

Hydroxyl groups on cellulose nanocrystal surfaces form nucleation points for silver nanoparticles of varying shapes and sizes

In this study, we investigate the interactions between the cellulose surface and Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the purpose of manufacturing hybrid nanomaterials using bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (BCNs) as a model substrate. We focus on the role of the BCN surface chemistry on the AgNP nucleation obtained by chemical reduction of Ag⁺ ions. Homogeneous hybrid suspensions of BCN/AgNP are produced, regardless of whether the BCNs are quasi-neutral, negatively (TBCNs) or positively charged (ABCNs). The characterization of BCN/AgNP hybrids identifies the -OH surface groups as nucleation points for AgNPs, of about 20 nm revealing that surface charges only improve the accessibility to OH groups. X-ray Absorption technics (XANES and EXAFS) revealed a high metallic Ag₀ content ranging from 88% to 97%. Moreover, the grafting of hydrophobic molecules on a BCN surface (HBCNs) does not prevent AgNP nucleation, illustrating the versatility of our method and the possibility to obtain bifunctional NPs. A H₂O₂ redox post-treatment on the hybrid induces an increase in AgNPs size, up to 90 nm as well as a shape variation (i.e., triangular). In contrast, H₂O₂ induces no size/shape variation for aggregated hybrids, emphasizing that the accessibility to -OH groups ensures the nucleation of bigger Ag nano-objects.

Tuning of Ag Nanoparticle Properties in Cellulose Nanocrystals/Ag Nanoparticle Hybrid Suspensions by H2O2 Redox Post-Treatment: The Role of the H2O2/AgNP Ratio

Hybrid nanoparticles involving 10-nm silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) nucleated on unmodified rod-like cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared by chemical reduction. H2O2 used as a post-treatment induced a size-shape transition following a redox mechanism, passing from 10-nm spherical AgNPs to 300-nm triangular or prismatic NPs (AgNPrisms), where CNCs are the only stabilizers for AgNPs and AgNPrisms. We investigated the role of the H2O2/AgNP mass ratio (α) on AgNPs. At α values above 0.20, the large amount of H2O2 led to extensive oxidation that produced numerous nucleation points for AgNPrisms on CNCs. On the contrary, for α below 0.20, primary AgNPs are only partially oxidized, releasing a reduced amount of Ag+ ions and thus preventing the formation of AgNPrisms and reforming spherical AgNPs. While XRD and EXAFS reveal that the AgNP fcc crystal structure is unaffected by the H2O2 treatment, the XANES spectra proved that the AgNP-AgNPrism transition is always associated with an increase in the metallic Ag fraction (Ag0). In contrast, the formation of new 15-nm spherical AgNPs keeps the initial Ag0/Ag+ ratio unmodified. For the first time, we introduce a complete guide map for the fully-controlled preparation of aqueous dispersed AgNPs using CNC as a template.

Perfect Dual-Band Absorber Based on Plasmonic Effect with the Cross-Hair/Nanorod Combination

Plasmonic effect using a cross-hair can convey strongly localized surface plasmon modes among the separated composite nanostructures. Compared to its counterpart without the cross-hair, this characteristic has the remarkable merit of enhancing absorptance at resonance and can make the structure carry out a dual-band plasmonic perfect absorber (PPA). In this paper, we propose and design a novel dual-band PPA with a gathering of four metal-shell nanorods using a cross-hair operating at visible and near-infrared regions. Two absorptance peaks at 1050 nm and 750 nm with maximal absorptance of 99.59% and 99.89% for modes 1 and 2, respectively, are detected. High sensitivity of 1200 nm refractive unit (1/RIU), figure of merit of 26.67 and Q factor of 23.33 are acquired, which are very remarkable compared with the other PPAs. In addition, the absorptance in mode 1 is about nine times compared to its counterpart without the cross-hair. The proposed structure gives a novel inspiration for the design of a tunable dual-band PPA, which can be exploited for plasmonic sensor and other nanophotonic devices.

Controlled Tuning of the Size of Ag-Hydrosol Nanoparticles by Nonstabilized THF and Detection of Peroxides in THF

Surface plasmon extinction (SPE) spectra of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) are sensitive indicators of their composition, size, shape, interparticle interactions, and of the dielectric constant of their ambient. In this study, rapid changes in SPE spectra of Ag NPs suggesting variations in NP size and concentration were detected after addition of aged tetrahydrofuran (THF). Using time-dependent UV/vis spectroscopy combined with factor analysis, transmission electron microscopy imaging, selected-area electron diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, we observed that an over-limit amount of aged THF fully dissolved Ag NPs with no plasmon recovery. By contrast, an under-limit amount led to incomplete dissolution of Ag NPs and, after reaching the turnover point, to spontaneous recrystallization on residual Ag nuclei, as demonstrated by the SPE band intensity recovery to the original or even higher values. The newly formed Ag NPs were isometric, and their diameter was dependent on the added amount of THF. Furthermore, both Ag NP dissolution and recrystallization were caused by THF peroxides and their reduction products. Therefore, the dissolution of Ag NPs and the resulting hydrosol bleaching may be used as an indicator of the presence of peroxides in THF. Moreover, the reaction of aged THF with Ag NPs can be employed as a tool for tuning the size of Ag NPs in hydrosols.

Robust Synthesis of Size-Dispersal Triangular Silver Nanoprisms via Chemical Reduction Route and Their Cytotoxicity

Triangular silver nanocrystals, well-known as nanoprisms (Ag-NPrs), were successfully developed via a robust and straightforward direct chemical reduction synthetic approach, producing desirable tiny and well-controlled Ag-NPrs. This procedure was accomplished by fabricating a mixture of di-sodium succinate hexa-hydrate (DSSH) and tri-sodium citrate di-hydrate (TSCD) as capping agents at optimal synthetic conditions and under an open-air condition, which proved to be an enormous challenge. Additionally, the Ag-NPrs were fully characterized by UV-vis spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Likewise, the formation stages from spherical silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) to triangular Ag-NPrs were also captured simultaneously via transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) images. More interestingly, an active thin silica-shell was efficiently applied on the Ag-NPrs outer-layer to increase their functionality. Furthermore, to confirm their biocompatibility, we also carried out cell viability assays for the Ag-NPs, Ag-NPrs, and Ag-NPrs@SiO2 with different concentrations at 62.5, 125, and 250 µg/mL after 12, 24, and 48 h of exposure time, respectively, on a regular African green monkey kidney cell line. The cell viability test results exemplified that the three silver nanostructures were toxic-free and suitable for further potential biological applications in the near future.

Depolying Tunable Metal-Shell/Dielectric Core Nanorod Arrays as the Virtually Perfect Absorber in the Near-Infrared Regime

In this paper, the coupled Ag-shell/dielectric-core nanorod for sensor application is investigated and the different dielectric core plasmonic metamaterial is adopted in our design. The operational principle is based on the concept of combining the lattice resonance, localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and cavity plasmon resonance modes within the nanostructure. The underlying mechanisms are investigated numerically by using the three-dimensional finite element method and the numerical results of coupled solid Ag nanorods are included for comparison. The characteristic absorptance/reflectance peaks/dips have been demonstrated to be induced by different plasmonic modes that could lead to different responses required for plasmonic sensors. A nearly perfect absorptance and an approximate zero reflectance with a sharp band linewidth are obtained from the proposed system, when operated as an SPR sensor with the sensitivity and figure of merit of 757.58 nm/RIU (RIU is the refractive index unit) and 50.51 (RIU^-1), respectively. Our work provides a promising method for the future developments of more advanced metamaterial absorber for chemical sensing, thermal radiation tailoring, field enhanced spectroscopy, and general filtering applications.

Progress in the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles having manifold geometric forms

The data on the specific synthesis of elemental silver nanoparticles having the forms of various geometric bodies (pseudo spherical, prismatic, cubic, trigonal-pyramidal, etc.), obtained by various chemical, physicochemical, and biological methods, have been systematized and generalized. This review covers mainly publications published in the current 21st century.

Two-Dimensional Metal Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

As one unique group of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, 2D metal nanomaterials have drawn increasing attention owing to their intriguing physiochemical properties and broad range of promising applications. In this Review, we briefly introduce the general synthetic strategies applied to 2D metal nanomaterials, followed by describing in detail the various synthetic methods classified in two categories, i.e. bottom-up methods and top-down methods. After introducing the unique physical and chemical properties of 2D metal nanomaterials, the potential applications of 2D metal nanomaterials in catalysis, surface enhanced Raman scattering, sensing, bioimaging, solar cells, and photothermal therapy are discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in this promising research area are proposed.

Plant extracts as green reductants for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles: lessons from chemical synthesis

From conventional synthesis to green transformations: a brief literature overview and insight for the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles.

Preparation of triangular silver nanoplates by silver seeds capped with citrate-CTA+

Due to the competitive growth on the crystal face of seed, it is always difficult to control the morphology of the formation of nanoparticles precisely by a seed-mediated growth method. Herein, we provided a simple but effective technique to synthesize silver nanotriangles using a new silver seed that is capped with citrate-CTA⁺ (CTA⁺ is cetyltrimethyl ammonium cation). Compared to the preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by a conventional seed-mediated method, in this paper, we presented a growth technique with two distinct innovative changes. First, the concentrations of CTAB that we added in silver seed collosol have a significant impact on the size distribution, and silver nanotriangles, nanorods, and nanospheres could be obtained by adjusting the CTAB concentration. Second, the seed prepared by our method has a longer use time, and silver nanotriangles, nanospheres, and nanorods could be prepared by adjusting the aged time of the seed colloid. We have also shown a simple way to control the morphology of silver nanoparticles in almost the same reactive medium by varying the NaOH concentration. Using the new silver seed capped with citrate-CTA⁺, we obtained triangular silver nanoparticles with relatively high regularity. Based on the limited experimental results and IR analysis, a possible mechanism was preliminarily proposed to explain the formation of the seed and the truncated triangular AgNPs.

Due to the competitive growth on the crystal face of seed, it is always difficult to control the morphology of the formation of nanoparticles precisely by a seed-mediated growth method.

Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Au and Ag Nanoparticles. Breakthroughs and Perspectives

This review provides a broad look on the recent investigations on the synthesis, characterization and physico-chemical properties of noble metal nanoparticles, mainly gold and silver nanoparticles, stabilized with ligands of different chemical nature. A comprehensive review of the available literature in this field may be far too large and only some selected representative examples will be reported here, together with some recent achievements from our group, that will be discussed in more detail. Many efforts in finding synthetic routes have been performed so far to achieve metal nanoparticles with well-defined size, morphology and stability in different environments, to match the large variety of applications that can be foreseen for these materials. In particular, the synthesis and stabilization of gold and silver nanoparticles together with their properties in different emerging fields of nanomedicine, optics and sensors are reviewed and briefly commented.

Synthesis of Stable Citrate-Capped Silver Nanoprisms

Citrate-stabilized silver nanoprisms (AgNPrs) can be easily functionalized using well-developed thiol based surface chemistry that is an important requirement for biosensor applications utilizing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Unfortunately, currently available protocols for synthesis of citrate-coated AgNPrs do not produce stable nanoparticles thus limiting their usefulness in biosensing applications. Here we address this problem by carrying out a systematic study of citrate-stabilized, peroxide-based synthesis of AgNPrs to optimize reaction conditions for production of stable and reproducible nanoprisms. Our analysis showed that concentration of secondary reducing agent, l-ascorbic acid, is critical to AgNPr stability. Furthermore, we demonstrated that optimization of other synthesis conditions such as stabilizer concentration, rate of silver nitrate addition, and seed dilution result in highly stable nanoprisms with narrow absorbance peaks ranging from 450 nm into near-IR. In addition, the optimized reaction conditions can be used to produce AgNPrs in a one-pot synthesis instead of a previously described two-step reaction. The resulting nanoprisms can readily interact with thiols for easy surface functionalization. These studies provide an optimized set of parameters for precise control of citrate stabilized AgNPr synthesis for biomedical applications.

High purity silver microcrystals recovered from silver wastes by eco-friendly process using hydrogen peroxide

A simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly process using hydrogen peroxide, was developed for recovering high purity silver directly from industry and laboratory wastes. Silver ammine complex, [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺Cl^-, derived from AgCl were generated and then directly reduced using H₂O₂ to reliably turn into high purity microcrystalline silver (99.99%) examined by EDS and XRD. Morphology of the recovered silver microcrystals could be selectively tuned by an addition of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The main parameters in the recovering process including pH, concentration of Ag⁺ and the mole ratio of H₂O₂:Ag⁺ were carefully optimized though the central composite design (CCD). The optimized condition was employed for a trial recovery of 50 L silver ammine complex prepared from a collection of silver-wastes during 3-year research on industrial nanoparticle production. The recovered silver microcrystals >700 g could be recovered with 91.27%. The remaining solution after filtering of the recovered silver microcrystals can be used repeatedly (at least 8 cycles) without losing recovery efficiency. Matrix interferences including Pb²⁺ and Cl^- play a minimal role in our silver recovery process. Furthermore, the direct usage of the recovered silver microcrystals was demonstrated by using as a raw material of silver clay for creating a set of wearable silver jewelries.

Non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations in superparamagnetic nanocolloids

We investigate non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations during the free diffusion of a colloidal suspension against pure water. We investigate Fe₂O₃ superparamagnetic nanocolloids with sizes between 1 and 10 nm by means of a shadowgraph apparatus to determine the mixture mass diffusion coefficient and kinematic viscosity. The experiments were performed in three distinct conditions: Experiment 1 is without any magnetic field; Experiment 2 with a vertical magnetic field; Experiment 3 after turning off the magnetic field. We found no correlation between the kinematic viscosity coefficient and the external magnetic field. Conversely, we found that the mass diffusion coefficient decreases in the presence of the external magnetic field and slowly rebounds after the magnetic field was turned off.

Sensing of hydrogen peroxide and glucose in human serum via quenching fluorescence of biomolecule-stabilized Au nanoclusters assisted by the Fenton reaction

Sensitive detection of H₂O₂ and glucose were realized by Fenton reaction assistant oxidation of Au NCs.

Shape control of inorganic nanoparticles from solution

Inorganic materials with controllable shapes have been an intensely studied subject in nanoscience over the past decades. Control over novel and anisotropic shapes of inorganic nanomaterials differing from those of bulk materials leads to unique and tunable properties for widespread applications such as biomedicine, catalysis, fuels or solar cells and magnetic data storage. This review presents a comprehensive overview of shape-controlled inorganic nanomaterials via nucleation and growth theory and the control of experimental conditions (including supersaturation, temperature, surfactants and secondary nucleation), providing a brief account of the shape control of inorganic nanoparticles during wet-chemistry synthetic processes. Subsequently, typical mechanisms for shape-controlled inorganic nanoparticles and the general shape of the nanoparticles formed by each mechanism are also expounded. Furthermore, the differences between similar mechanisms for the shape control of inorganic nanoparticles are also clearly described. The authors envision that this review will provide valuable guidance on experimental conditions and process control for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles with tunable shapes in the solution state.

Ultrafast synthesis of silver nanoplates in ethanol at room temperature

The formation of silver nanoplates was obtained based on aged NaBH₄ in the presence of NaBO₂.

One-Step Preparation of Silver Hexagonal Microsheets as Electrically Conductive Adhesive Fillers for Printed Electronics

A facile one-step solution-phase chemical reduction method has been developed to synthesize Ag microsheets at room temperature. The morphology of Ag sheets is a regular hexagon more than 1 μm in size and about 200 nm in thickness. The hexagonal Ag microsheets possess a smoother and straighter surface compared with that of the commercial Ag micrometer-sized flakes prepared by ball milling for electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs). The function of the reagents and the formation mechanism of Ag hexagonal microsheets are also investigated. For the polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and citrate facet-selective capping, the Ag atoms freshly reduced by N2H4 would orientationally grow alone on the {111} facet of Ag seeds, with the synergistically selective etching of irregular and small Ag particles by H2O2, to form Ag hexagonal microsheets. The hexagonal Ag microsheet-filled epoxy adhesives, as electrically conductive materials, can be easily printed on various substrates such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), epoxy, glass, and flexible papers. The hexagonal Ag microsheet filled ECAs demonstrate lower bulk resistivity (approximately 8 × 10(-5) Ω cm) than that of the traditional Ag micrometer-sized-flake-filled ECAs with the same Ag content of 80 wt % (approximately 1.2 × 10(-4) Ω cm).

Rapid fabrication of silver microplates under an oxidative etching environment consisting of O2/Cl−, NH4OH/H2O2, and H2O2

Chloride ions are essential for creating an etching environment capable of selective dissolution of singly and multiply twinned crystals, while leaving plate structures unaffected.

Thermal synthesis of silver nanoplates revisited: a modified photochemical process

The well-known photochemical and thermal methods for silver nanoplate synthesis have been generally regarded as two parallel processes without strong connections. Here we report a surprising finding that both visible light and ambient O2, which are critically important in the photochemical process, also play determining roles in the thermal synthesis. By designing a series of control experiments, we reveal that the typical thermal synthesis is essentially a modified photochemical synthesis coupled with the unique redox properties of H2O2. Light irradiation and dissolved O2 are found to be essential for initiating the formation of nanoplates, but the continued growth of nanoplates is supported by the oxidative etching and subsequent reduction of Ag due to H2O2. O2 resulting from the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 etches small nanoparticles to produce Ag(+) ions, which are then reduced back to Ag(0) by anions of H2O2 to support the growth of nanoplate seeds. The involvement of H2O2 in the reaction significantly speeds up the nanoplate formation process. These findings not only greatly improve our understanding of the unique functions of H2O2 in the thermal synthesis, but also bridge the two well established synthesis processes with a unified mechanism, and significantly enhance the reproducibility of the thermal synthesis of Ag nanoplates by identifying the critical importance of ambient light and O2.