Effect of a stabilizer on the structure, synthesis, and tribological properties of silver nanoparticles

Abstract

The structure and properties of nanoparticles are greatly influenced by the synthesis method and the stabilizer used in their preparation. The paper presents the results of the effect of various stabilizers (gelatin, sodium citrate, sodium borohydride) on the structure, synthesis, and tribotechnical properties of silver nanoparticles. The mechanism of the formation and growth of silver nanoclusters was investigated using quantum-chemical calculations with full optimization of all parameters using the density functional theory (DFT) PBEPBE/Lanl2DZ method. It is shown that the use of organic stabilizers (for example, gelatin) leads to an increase in the stability of stabilized silver clusters. Such systems have greater conformational flexibility and a large number of molecular donor oxygen centres in their composition. The effect of the stabilizer on the structure of the Ag13 silver cluster was revealed in four model systems: gelatin, ammonium chloride NH4Cl, sodium borohydride NaBH4, and trisodium citrate Na3C6H5O (Na3Cit). Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) obtained by the sonoelectrochemical, citrate, borohydride, and citrate-borohydride method varied in size from nanometers to several tens of nanometers. As a result of tribotechnical tests of lubricants with the obtained silver nanoparticles, a positive effect of stabilized silver clusters was revealed in the composition of lubricant compositions. The best tribotechnical characteristics were shown by lubricating compositions containing AgNPs stabilized with gelatin. It was found that a decrease in the size of gelatin stabilized AgNPs, when added to lubricants, leads to an increase in the tribological properties.