A self-seeding coreduction method for shape control of silver nanoplates

Abstract

This work reports a newly developed synthesis method, i.e., a self-seeding coreductionmethod, for shape control of silver nanoparticles such as triangular nanoplatesand circular nanodiscs. By this method, high surface-to-volume silver nanoplates(∼2.3 nm in thickness) were successfully generated. The distinct advantages of this methodinclude no need to add external seeds, no need to use organic solvents that areenvironmentally unfriendly, being able to perform at room temperature, and synergetic useof a few reducing agents for better growth control of two-dimensional nanostructures. Inparticular, molecular dynamics simulation is used to quantify the interaction energiesbetween surfactant molecules and different facets of silver crystal. Such molecularinformation, together with measurements using x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmissionelectron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ultraviolet–visible(UV–vis) spectroscopy, has proven to be useful in understanding the growth mechanisms ofsilver nanoplates.