One-step growth method of silver nanowires in aqueous environment

Abstract

Silver nanowires were successfully prepared by one-step growth method in aqueous environment. The suitable pH value is a key factor for the successful preparation of silver nanowires. The concentration of silver nitrate precursors also affects the yield of silver nanowire. We studied the growth mechanism of silver nanowires in detail. This is a classic Ostwald ripening process. The final silver nanowires are face-centered-cubic (FCC) phase. The morphologic parameters of the silver nanowires were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Its size is about 7 μm long and about 45 nanometers in diameter. This experiment provides an effective method for the preparation of silver nanowires in aqueous environment. It has important potential applications in biological detection and physical devices.