Effect of stirring rate on the synthesis silver nanowires using polyvinyl alcohol as a capping agent by polyol process

Abstract

Effect of stirring rate on the formation of silver nanowires (AgNWs) have been successfully synthesized by using polyol process. In this study, the materials used are ethylene glycol (EG) as solvent and reductant, silver nitrate (AgNO3) as the metal precursors, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a capping agent and stabilizer without adding chloride ions. The synthesis AgNWs was done by varying the stirring rate about 125, 350, 500, 700, and 1100 rpm. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the AgNWs optimally formed at a stirring rate of 350 rpm with a diameter of (190 ± 40) nm and a length about (70 ± 20) μm, resfectively. The silver nanorods (AgNRs) formed with diameter and length about (500 ± 20) nm and (20 ± 10) μm for stirring rate of 500 rpm, and (700 ± 30) nm and (20 ± 5) μm for 700 rpm. For the stirring rate of 125 and 1100 rpm only produced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a diameter of 2 to 3 μm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed a high crystalline with face-center-cubic (fcc) structures. The UVvis spectra of AgNWs shows that the absorbance peaks at a wavelength of 358 and 380 nm. PVA can be used as a capping agent and stabilizer for the synthesis AgNWs and AgNRs with high aspect ratio.