Siberian Federal University

This article describes a facile, solution-based preparation of stable uniform nanoparticles of silver, which can be used as seeds for the synthesis of non-spherical nanoparticles and composite structures. The environment-friendly procedure involves the reduction of aqueous AgNO3 with glucose under microwave irradiation. The effects of a reducing-agent nature (glucose, ascorbic acid, or their mixtures), initial concentrations of glucose and AgNO3, pH, time of reaction have been investigated, and optimal synthesis conditions have been found. The products obtained were characterized by UV-viz absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic-force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).