Dissolution–recrystallization mechanism for the conversion of silver nanospheres to triangular nanoplates

Abstract

A solution chemistry method for transforming polycrystalline Ag spherical particles into single crystalline triangular Ag nanoplates has been developed. The synthesis consists of three consecutive steps: (1) the synthesis of Ag nanospheres by NaBH 4 reduction of AgNO 3 in the presence of sodium citrate; (2) the conversion of citrate-stabilized Ag nanospheres into SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)-stabilized Ag nanospheres, and (3) the aging of the SDS-stabilized Ag nanospheres in 0.01 M NaCl solution. Our study indicates that the shape evolved through a Ag nanoparticle dissolution- and re-deposition process; and demonstrated the critical role of SDS in the process: SDS regulates the dynamics in the dissolved O 2/Cl − etching of the Ag nanospheres and the reduction of the released Ag + by citrate ions in the same solution. SDS also functions as a shape-directing agent to assimilate the Ag 0 atoms into single crystalline triangular Ag nanoplates. A model for the shape conversion is also proposed which provides the clue for the synthesis of anisotropic Ag nanoparticles with other shapes (rods, wires, cubes, etc.).