Silver nanostructures from Ag(CN) 2 − reduction by citrate ions in the presence of dodecyl sulfate and Cu2+ ions. Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles has been investigated using Ag(CN)2− species as precursor, citrate ions as reducing agent, and dodecyl sulfate ions as stabilizer, at pH 11 and 97 °C, in a batch stirred glass reactor. The role of Cu2+ ions in the synthesis was also studied. Bird-of-paradise flower-type nanostructures composed of AgCN nanowires having inside Ag and AgCN nanoparticles were produced in the absence of Cu2+ ions. The nanostructures slowly grew and transformed to AgCN nanowires with embedded Ag and AgCN nanoparticles, having a mean size of 9.7 ± 3.6 nm. The presence of Cu2+ ions in the synthesis significantly enhanced the production of the nanostructures. Nanowires having a thickness of 63 ± 33 nm and length of up to 20 μm were produced. Cu2+ ions also simultaneously lead to the synthesis of ordinary free Ag nanoparticles with a bimodal size distribution (mean sizes of 9.9 ± 3.9 and 65.5 ± 27 nm) and a low experimental formation kinetic rate constant of 1.22 × 10−4 s−1. Feasible mechanisms are presented for the origin of the AgCN nanowires, Ag and AgCN nanoparticles inside the nanowires, and for the free Ag nanoparticles. UV/Vis spectrometry was used to measure the surface plasmon resonance of the nanoparticles and the synthesis kinetic rate constant of the free Ag nanoparticles. ATR–FTIR spectroscopy, EDS–SEM, EDS–TEM, and HRTEM were used to characterize the size, crystal structure, texture, and chemical composition of the synthesis products.