Synthesis of Colloidal Silver Using Lignosulfonates

Abstract

Colloidal silver solutions can be used as catalysts for carrying out various chemical transformations of organic substances and solving the problems of disposal of toxic compounds, as well as antibacterial agents for combating pathogenic microflora, in the manufacture of lubricants and light-absorbing materials, coatings, sensors, conductive pastes, and high-performance electrode materials. The research purpose is to study the synthesis of colloidal silver using a solution of technical lignosulfonates (LST) as a stabilizer. Colloidal silver was synthesized as a result of the reduction-oxidation (redox) reaction of Ag(I) cations with glucose at 100 °C in the presence of lignosulfonates. The reaction was carried out in an alkaline medium, which is provided by the addition of ammonia water. Electronic spectroscopy was used to control the synthesis of colloidal silver. After the reaction, the solution turned dark brown and an intense absorption band with a maximum at 400 nm appeared on the electron spectra. The effects of reagent consumption and synthesis duration were studied. It was found that the optimal reagent consumption in the colloidal silver synthesis is as follows: 2.5–5 g glucose / g Ag, 0.3–1 g LST / g Ag, and 3–5 g NH3 / g Ag. The synthesis duration is 2–5 min. The resulting colloidal silver solution is stable for several months. Partial stratification without precipitation is observed during the solution storage. It is shown experimentally that the stratification is followed by a redistribution of colloidal silver particles. Electron spectroscopy confirmed the absence of colloidal silver particles in the upper layer. The reaction kinetics has been studied in experiments carried out under thermostatically controlled conditions at temperatures from 50 to 100 °C. The kinetic dependence is described by a first-order equation at the initial stage of the reaction, the duration of which depends on the temperature. The duration of the active part of the kinetic curves is 15–90 % of the total reaction time. The logarithm of the rate constant on the active section was proved to depend linearly on the reverse thermodynamic temperature (pair correlation coefficient is 0.9887). The activation energy was 47 kJ/mol. For citation: Plakhin V.A., Khabarov Yu.G., Veshnyakov V.A. Synthesis of Colloidal Silver Using Lignosulfonates. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 6, pp. 184–195. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-6-184-195