A Simple and Fast Aqueous‐Phase Synthesis of Ultra‐Highly Concentrated Silver Nanoparticles and Their Catalytic Properties

A simple and fast synthetic route to ultra‐highly concentrated silver nanoparticles with long‐term stability by reducing AgNO₃ with ascorbic acid in the presence of polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a stabilizer in an aqueous phase is reported. The concentration of silver precursor was as high as 2000 mm (200 g of Ag nanoparticle per liter of water) and the reaction time was less than 10 min. The resulting silver nanoparticles show long‐term stability after two months of storage at room temperature without any signs of particle aggregation or precipitation in an aqueous phase. The successful ligand exchange of PEI‐stabilized silver nanoparticles to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) without particle aggregation is also demonstrated. In addition, the catalytic activities of silver nanoparticles stabilized by various stabilizers prepared by the ligand exchange method was investigated. The PEI‐stabilized silver nanoparticles exhibited a higher stability than those of PEG‐ and PVP‐stabilized silver nanoparticles in the diffusion‐controlled catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol by NaBH₄.     

Silver nanoparticles stabilized by crosslinked poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and its application for facilitated olefin transport

Positively polarized silver nanoparticles by poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) have been demonstrated for use as stable olefin carriers for facilitated olefin transport membranes. The formation and size of silver nanoparticles stabilized by PVP were monitored using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanocomposite membranes consisting of polymer and silver nanoparticles stabilized by PVP exhibited the high separation performance for olefin/paraffin mixtures. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that silver nanoparticles stabilized by PVP exhibited a high positive polarity, resulting in the reversible interaction between the surface of silver nanoparticles and olefin molecules.     

Preparation of Polymer Nanofibers Containing Silver Nanoparticles by Using Poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone)

Summary: Poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was used in two methods to prepare polymer nanofibers containing Ag nanoparticles. The first method involved electrospinning the PVP nanofibers containing Ag nanoparticles directly from the PVP solutions containing the Ag nanoparticles. N,N‐Dimethylformamide was used as a solvent for the PVP as well as a reducing agent for the Ag⁺ ions in the PVP solutions. In the second method, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) aqueous solutions were electrospun with 5 wt.‐% of the PVP containing Ag nanoparticles. The Ag nanoparticles were evenly distributed in the PVA nanofibers. PVP containing Ag nanoparticles could be used to introduce Ag nanoparticles to other polymer nanofibers that are miscible with PVP.

TEM image of a PVA nanofiber electrospun with 5 wt.‐% of the PVP containing Ag nanoparticles.     

Structural changes of silver polymer electrolytes: Comparison between poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) and poly(N‐vinyl pyrrolidone) complexes with silver salt

The difference between the polymer matrices of poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) (POZ) and poly(N‐vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) does not have a significant effect on the facilitated propylene transport and propylene solubility in 1:1 polymer/silver salt complex membranes, according to our previous work. In this article, its origin is investigated in terms of both microstructures of silver polymer electrolytes and the coordinative interaction of silver ion with polymer and with the counteranion. Initially different microstructures of POZ and PVP become similar to each other upon dissolving a large amount of silver salt, as evidenced by propane transport properties, specific volume, and Bragg d‐spacing. The dissolution of the silver salt in the polymer solvent strongly depends on the coordinative interaction between silver ion and carbonyl oxygen of POZ and PVP. Thus, the structural similarity upon dissolving silver salts in POZ and PVP is primarily determined by the coordinative interaction between silver ion and carbonyl oxygen, which was confirmed by theoretical structure calculation based on density functional theory and by IR and Raman spectroscopy. Therefore, facilitated olefin transport for silver polymer electrolyte membranes does not strongly depend on the polymeric matrix at high silver concentrations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 232–237, 2004     

Facile preparation of metal nanoparticle‐coated polystyrene beads by catechol conjugated polymer

A universal method to modify polystyrene beads (PSBs) is proposed, using the 2‐chloro‐3′,4′‐dihydroxyacetophenone (CCDP) quaternized to poly(ethylene glycol)‐g‐poly(dimethylaminethyl methacrylate) [PEG‐g‐PDMA, QC‐PEG]. In the study, CCDP of QC‐PEG is adhered onto PSBs under alkali condition, where polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) has been added as stabilizer. The surface modified PSBs with QC‐PEG (QC‐PSBs) have been functionalized, by depositing silver nanoparticles (Ag‐PSBs) as antimicrobial, iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe‐PSBs) as magnet, and TiO₂ nanoparticles (Ti‐PSBs) as photo‐catalyst. Modification and functionalization of the obtained PSBs have been rectified by microscopy and spectroscopy investigations, including scanning electron microscope, X‐ray photoelectron microscope, and UV–vis spectrometer. The functionalized Ag‐PSBs show outstanding antimicrobial activities against gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria, due to their containing silver nanoparticles; while significant photo‐catalytic behavior was found against methylene blue, after depositing TiO₂ nanoparticles. The proposed universal modified PSBs will make a strong contribution in different fields, as a functional material. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photochemical synthesis and self-assembly of gold nanoparticles

Colloidal gold was prepared by UV light irradiation of the mixture of HAuCl₄ aqueous solution and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) ethanol solution in the presence of silver ions. The resulting sheet-like nanoparticles were found to self-assemble into nanoflowers by a centrifuging process. The results of control experiments reflected that only suitable size sheet-like nanoparticles could assemble into the flower-like structures. The presence of Ag ions and PVP are essential for the formation process of nanoflowers. They perform their function by serving as structure-directing agents to produce the sheet-like particles. The appearance of the flower-like assemblages is attributed to the combination of Van der Waals force and the anisotropic hydrophobic attraction between the nanoparticles. The flower-like assemblages films can be used as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates with 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) molecule as a test probe.     

Propylene sorption and coordinative interactions for poly(N‐vinyl pyrrolidone‐co‐vinyl acetate)/silver salt complex membranes

When poly(N‐vinyl pyrrolidone‐co‐vinyl acetate) (PVP‐co‐PVAc) containing amide and ester groups were complexed with silver salts to form silver polymer electrolyte membranes, their separation performance of propylene/propane mixtures showed the high selectivity of propylene over propane of 55 and the high mixed gas permeance of 12 GPU (1 GPU = 1.0 × 10^?6 cm³(STP) cm^?2 s^?1 cmHg^?1). The separation performance strongly depends on the composition of the copolymer: the higher concentration of PVP in the copolymer, the better separation performance was achieved. These results suggest that the amide group is more effective in facilitated propylene transport than the ester group, primarily due to the stronger interaction of the silver ions with the amide than the ester oxygens, as demonstrated by FT‐IR and FT‐Raman spectroscopies. In‐situ FT‐IR spectra upon propylene sorption also demonstrate that the interaction strength of the silver ions with the ligands is arranged: amide > C?C > ester. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2263–2269, 2007     

聚合物稳定的金簇合物上卤素吸附质：质谱检测及其对催化的影响

聚(N-乙烯基-2-吡咯烷酮)稳定的金簇合物(Au：PVP)的质谱结果表明,来源于合成前驱体的Cl吸附质主要存在于Au34和Au43簇合物上。金簇合物上Cl吸附质的数量不影响其催化有氧苯甲醇氧化性能,表明Cl原子与Au簇合物间存在较弱的键合作用。相反,用Br替代Au34和Au43簇合物上Cl显著抑制了其催化活性,但对其电子结构没有任何影响。这表明, Br原子与金簇合物的键合较强,在空间上堵塞了活性位。因Br吸附质而导致活性显著下降表明, Au34和Au43簇合物对Au：PVP催化活性起主要贡献。     

Double stabilization of silver molecular clusters in thin films

The evolution of spectral and luminescent properties of Ag-containing composite coatings prepared by liquid technique has been studied. Double stabilization allows forming thin oxide films containing luminescent small Ag_n (n?<?5) molecular clusters using the liquid technique. These clusters are non-stable intermediate products during the formation of Ag nanoparticles from the ions and neutral atoms. It was found that small luminescent Ag_n molecular clusters (n?<?5) formed in the solutions at the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) remain in PVP/metal nitrates composite coatings and in the calcined metal oxide coatings. Spatial separation of small Ag molecular clusters in the coatings by the oxide nanoparticles of ZnO and MgO prohibits silver clusters growth and non-luminescent silver nanoparticles formation and allows saving coatings’ luminescence properties during thermal treatment.

     

PVP催化还原及稳定化纳米银的微波合成

在聚乙烯基吡咯烷酮(PVP)的存在下,微波辐射硝酸银水溶液,合成了纳米银/PVP复合物。UV-Vis和XRD结果证明了生成的纳米银具有面心立方结构,PVP中N原子对银离子具有催化还原作用。TEM结果表明纳米银粒径在10～25nm,且较均匀分散在聚合物基体中;XPS结果表明PVP与纳米银之间存在相互作用。     

Molecular modeling simulation and experimental measurements to characterize chitosan and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blend interactions

Blends of chitosan and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) have a high potential for use in various biomedical applications and in advanced drug‐delivery systems. Recently, the physical and chemical properties of these blends have been extensively characterized. However, the molecular interaction between these two polymers is not fully understood. In this study, the intermolecular interaction between chitosan and PVP was experimentally investigated using ¹³C cross‐polarization magic angle‐spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C CP/MAS NMR) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). According to these experimental results, the interaction between the polymers takes place through the carbonyl group of PVP and either the OH? C₆, OH? C₃, or NH? C₂ of chitosan. In an attempt to identify the interacting groups of these polymers, molecular modeling simulation was performed. Molecular simulation was able to clarify that the hydrogen atom of OH? C₆ of chitosan was the most favorable site to form hydrogen bonding with the oxygen atom of C?O of PVP, followed by that of OH? C₃, whereas that of NH? C₂ was the weakest proton donor group. The nitrogen atom of PVP was not involved in the intermolecular interaction between these polymers. Furthermore, the interactions between these polymers are higher when PVP concentrations are lower, and interactions decrease with increasing amounts of PVP. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1258–1264, 2008     

Effect of the polymer matrix on the formation of silver nanoparticles in polymer–silver salt complex membranes

When polymer–silver salt complex membranes were exposed to UV irradiation, the separation performances of both the permeance and selectivity for propylene–propane decreased, which was primarily attributed to the reduction of the silver ions in the membranes to silver nanoparticles. Here, the effect of the polymer matrix on the formation of silver nanoparticles in the polymer–silver salt complex membranes was investigated. This effect was assessed for the complexes of two kinds of silver salts (AgBF₄ and AgCF₃SO₃) with several polymeric ligands containing three different carbonyl groups, including poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) with an amide group, poly(vinyl methyl ketone) (PVMK) with a ketone group, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with an ester group. UV–vis spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images clearly indicated that the reduction rate of the silver ions has the following order in the various polymer matrices: PVP > PVMK > PMMA, whereas the size and the distribution of the nanoparticles exhibited the reverse order. The tendency to form silver nanoparticles was explained in terms of the differences between the comparative strengths of the interactions of the silver ions with the different carbonyl oxygens in the matrices, as well as that of the silver ions with counteranions, which was characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and FT‐Raman spectroscopy. It was concluded that when the concentration of free silver ions was low due to weak polymer–silver ion and strong silver ion–anion interactions, as found with PMMA, the reduction rate of silver ions to silver nanoparticles was slow. Therefore, the PMMA–silver complex membranes were less sensitive to decreases in separation performance upon UV irradiation than compared to the PVP membranes. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1168–1178, 2006     

A Nonenzymatic Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor Based on Silver Nanowires and Chitosan Film

A nonenzymatic amperometric electrochemical sensor for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was fabricated based on highly dense silver nanowires (Ag NWs) and chitosan (CS) film. Ag NWs were synthesized by a poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)‐mediated polyol process in the presence of manganese chloride (MnCl₂), and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Under the optimal conditions, the proposed nonenzymatic sensor exhibited good electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of H₂O₂, and could detect H₂O₂ in the linear range of 0.008–1.35 mM, with a detection limit of 2 µM (S/N=3).     

Role of stabilizing agents in the formation of stable silver nanoparticles in aqueous solution: Characterization and stability study

The stability of silver nanoparticles is controlled mainly by two major factors, namely, aggregation and oxidation. In the present study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized by using different series of reducing agents like a strong reducing agent (sodium borohydride), a mild reducing agent (tri-sodium citrate), and a weak reducing agent (glucose) with different capping agents, namely, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP K 30), starch, and sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose (NaCMC). The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and anti-microbial activity. The particle size of silver nanoparticles varies in the following order: sodium borohydride < tri-sodium citrate < glucose. Combination of sodium borohydride–polyvinyl pyrrolidone and tri-sodium citrate-polyvinyl pyrrolidone yields stable silver nanoparticles compared to other combinations of reducing agents and capping agents. The stability results confirmed that a refrigerated condition (8°C) was more suitable for storage of silver nanoparticles. Anti-microbial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized in a sodium borohydride–polyvinyl pyrrolidone mixture shows a larger zone of inhibition compared to other silver nanoparticles. Anti-microbial results confirmed that the anti-microbial activity is better with smaller particle size. The size and stability of silver nanoparticles in the presence of different combinations of stabilizing and capping agents are reported.     

Strongly cluster size dependent reaction behavior of CO with O2 on free silver cluster anions

Reactions of free silver anions Agn- (n = 1 - 13) with O2, CO, and their mixtures are investigated in a temperature controlled radio frequency ion trap setup. Cluster anions Agn- (n = 1 - 11) readily react with molecular oxygen to yield AgnOm- (m = 2, 4, or 6) oxide products. In contrast, no reaction of the silver cluster anions with carbon monoxide is detected. However, if silver cluster anions are exposed to the mixture of O2 and CO, new reaction products and a pronounced, discontinuous size dependence in the reaction behavior is observed. In particular, coadsorption complexes Agn(CO)O2- are detected for cluster sizes with n = 4 and 6 and, the most striking observation, in the case of the larger odd atom number clusters Ag7-, Ag9-, and Ag11-, the oxide product concentration decreases while a reappearance of the bare metal cluster signal is observed. This leads to the conclusion that carbon monoxide reacts with the activated oxygen on these silver clusters and indicates the prevalence of a catalytic reaction cycle.     

Ag10Ti28‐Oxo Cluster Containing Single‐Atom Silver Sites: Atomic Structure and Synergistic Electronic Properties

Supported single‐atom catalysts have been emerging as promising materials in a variety of energy catalysis applications. However, studying the role of metal–support interactions at the molecular level remains a major challenge, primarily due to the lack of precise atomic structures. In this work, by replacing the frequently used TiO₂ support with its molecular analogue, titanium‐oxo cluster (TOC), we successfully produced a new kind of Ti‐O material doped with single silver sites. The as‐obtained Ag₁₀Ti₂₈ cluster, containing four exposed and six embedded Ag sites, is the largest noble‐metal‐doped Ti‐O cluster reported to date. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the Ag₁₀Ti₂₈ core exhibits properties distinct from those of metallic Ag‐based materials. This Ti‐O material doped with single Ag sites presents a high ?_d and moderate CO binding capacity comparable to that of metallic Cu‐based catalysts, suggesting that it might display different catalytic performance from the common Ag‐based catalysts, for example, for CO₂ reduction. These results prove that the synergism of active surface metal atoms and the Ti‐O cluster support result in unique physical properties, which might open a new direction for single‐atom‐included catalysts.     

Ag-based bimetallic clusters as catalysts for p-nitrophenol reduction by glycerol: A DFT investigation

Reducing p-nitrophenol (PNP) to p-aminophenol is an industrially relevant synthesis. Nevertheless, only a few heterogeneous catalysts have been evaluated for the reduction of PNP by glycerol. Appropriate quantum computational studies can screen potential catalysts for this crucial green reaction. The present research investigates the catalytic activities of Pd@Ag and Ni@Ag core-shell nanogeometries toward PNP reduction by glycerol through density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The central atom of a geometry-optimized 13-atom Ag cluster was replaced by Pd and Ni atoms to create the core-shell morphologies. The interaction energies of PNP and glycerol with each of the (metal/bimetallic) clusters were evaluated by DFT calculations to find the best PNP and glycerol molecule orientation with the respective bimetallic cluster. Electrostatic potential surface and natural bond orbital analyses were performed to study the charge distribution and transfer between atomic orbitals. The frequencies of vibrational modes in isolated PNP/glycerol structures were compared to those when these molecules were in the presence of the different metal clusters to infer the effect of the interactions. All performed analyses indicated improved catalytic activity toward PNP reduction by glycerol upon Ni-doping of the Ag₁₃ cluster.     

硝基芳烃氢化还原反应中高分子负载催化剂的双金属协同效应

制备了聚Ｎ－乙烯基－２－吡咯烷酮ＰＶＰ负载钯催化剂Ｐｄ／ＰＶＰ及各种双金属催化剂（１－ｍ）Ｐｄ－ｍＭ／ＰＶＰ，并用于硝基芳烃的加氢还原中，其中Ｐｄ／ＰＶＰ中加入Ｈ２ＰｔＣｌ６的效果最佳，碱的用量、溶剂和Ｐｄ、Ｐｔ的比例都对催化剂的活性有明显的影响，双金属催化剂０．８０Ｐｄ－０．２０Ｐｔ／ＰＶＰ在温和条件下能高活性，高选择性地催化硝基芳烃还原，得到相应的芳胺。     

Gas phase synthesis, structure and unimolecular reactivity of silver iodide cluster cations, Ag(n)I(m)(+) (n = 2-5, 0 < m < n)

Multistage mass spectrometry (MS(n)) experiments reveal that gas phase silver iodide cluster cations, Ag(n)I(m)(+), are readily built up in a stepwise fashion via ion-molecule reactions between mass selected silver (Ag(3)(+) and Ag(5)(+)) or silver hydride (Ag(2)H(+) and Ag(4)H(+)) cluster cations and allyl iodide, in contrast to their reactions with methyl iodide, which solely result in ligation of the clusters. The stoichiometries of these clusters range from 1 < or = n < or = 5 and 1 < or = m < or = 4, indicating the formation of several new subvalent silver iodide clusters. Collision induced dissociation (CID) experiments were carried out on each of these clusters to shed some light on their possible structures. The products arising from CID of the Ag(n)I(m)(+) clusters are highly dependent on the stoichiometry of the cluster. Thus the odd-electron clusters Ag(4)I(2)(+) and Ag(5)I(+) fragment via loss of a silver atom. In contrast, the even-electron cluster ions all fragment via loss of AgI. In addition, Ag(2)I(2) loss is observed for the Ag(4)I(3)(+) and Ag(5)I(2)(+) clusters, while loss of Ag(3)I(3) occurs for the stoichiometric Ag(5)I(4)(+) cluster. DFT calculations were carried out on these Ag(n)I(m)(+) clusters as well as the neutrals associated with the ion-molecule and CID reactions. A range of different isomeric structures were calculated and their structures are described. A noteworthy aspect is that ligation of these silver clusters by I can have a profound effect on the geometry of the silver cluster. For example, D(3h) Ag(3)(+) becomes C(2v) Ag(3)I(+), which in turn becomes C(2h) Ag(3)I(2)(+). Finally, the DFT predicted thermochemistry supports the different types of reaction channels observed in the ion-molecule reactions and CID experiments.     

Size of elementary clusters and process period in silver nanoparticle formation

The time dependence of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) curves for silver nanoparticle formation was followed in situ at a time resolution of 0.18 ms, which is 3 orders of magnitude higher than that used in previous reports (ca. 100 ms). The starting materials were silver nitrate solutions that were reacted with reducing solutions containing trisodium citrate. The SAXS analyses showed that silver nanoparticles were formed in three distinct periods from a peak diameter of ca. 0.7 nm (corresponding to the size of a Ag(13) cluster) during the nucleation and the early growth period. The Ag(13) clusters are most likely elementary clusters that agglomerate to form silver nanoparticles.