Single layer synthesis of silver nanoparticles with controlled filling fraction and average particle size

Abstract

Single-layer silver nanoparticles have been grown on quartz substrates by a one-pot synthesis method using tannic acid as a reducing agent. The area filling fraction and average nanoparticle sizes were found to depend on the tannic acid pre-treatment and silver nitrate reduction times. Increasing these two parameters enabled single-layer silver nanoparticles to be fabricated with area filling fractions and average nanoparticle sizes that were controlled from 7.2% to 50%, and from 25 nm to 40 nm, respectively. The silver nanoparticles were anchored onto the quartz surface by a tannic acid layer bonded to silanol groups. Localized surface plasmonic resonance from the silver nanoparticles was observed where the peak wavelength was controlled by the synthesis conditions. Surface enhanced Raman scattering, and surface enhanced photoluminescence were also observed. Our one-pot method to produce single-layer silver nanoparticles offers a promising approach for applications in plasmonic microdevices and biosensors.