SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
Concentrated synthesis of metal nanoparticles in water
Abstract
The synthesis of a range of metal nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pd, Pt) in water through reduction from the acid soluble salt at abnormally high concentrations (>1 mol Lā1) is demonstrated using a comb polymer of methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) acrylate and maleic anhydride (PEG-MA) as the particle stabiliser during particle formation. The results show that at high concentrations in water, the general growth mechanism in these systems is through aggregation of nuclei of an approximate diameter of 0.6 nm. Aggregation resulted in formation of single crystals up to a particle diameter of approximately 5 nm but thereafter, further aggregation resulted in polygonal twinned particles. Continued aggregation caused agglomerate particles to be formed at larger sizes (>30 nm). Stabiliser adsorption was found to be critical to size control whereby the aggregation process was interrupted, preventing further growth. A case of the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles with a mean size of 8 nm at concentrations of up to 2.5 mol Lā1 is elaborated.
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