Silver nanoparticles coated with silica can be obtained by the reduction of AgNO 3 with hydrazine in the presence of NaOH-stabilized, active silicic acid (polysilicic acid). The size of the silver nanoparticles and the silica shell thicknesses were affected by varying the hydrazine content, the active silicic acid content and the experimental method (e.g. hydrothermal method). Typically, silver nanoparticles sized around 40 nm were aggregated, connected by silica. The presence of peaks centered around 400 nm in UV-vis spectra corresponds to the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. The size of the aggregated silver nanoparticles increased with increasing hydrazine concentration. Under hydrothermal conditions at 150°C the formation of individual silica particles was observed and the sizes of the silver nanoparticles were reduced. The hydrothermal treatment of silver nanoparticles at 180°C gives a well-defined Ag@SiO 2 core-shell in aggregated silica sol particles. The absorption band observed at around 412 nm were red-shifted with respect to the uncoated silver nanoparticles (λ max = 399 nm) due to the larger refractive index of silica compared to that of water. The formation of silver nanoparticles coated with silica is confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) data.
In borohydride-protected nanosilvers in laponite sol, the silver particles aggregate to form short chains and a dumbbell shape. The 1 H NMR measurements in this study represent, to our knowledge, the first observation of proton resonances of borohydride-protected nanosilvers in aqueous solution. Borohydride on nanosilver can be exchanged with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) or trioctylphosphine (TOP). Transmission electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy data show that the number of aggregated silver nanoparticles decreases upon addition of aforementioned ligands due to the formation of silver MPCs (monolayer-protected clusters). Adsorption of MUA or TOP on nanosilver is confirmed through the observation of broad proton resonances of MPCs in 1 H NMR spectra.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.