Application of a voltammetric method for investigation the formation mechanisms of silver nanoparticles in multicomponent solutions

A voltammetric method has been tested for the investigation of the kinetics of formation of silver nanoparticles in two systems: (a) silver(I) triflourineacetate, methylcellosolve, butyl acetate, toluene and methyl methacrylate with methacrylic acid copolymer; and (b) silver nitrate, sodium citrate, poly-N-vinyl-2-pirrolydone, sodium borohydride. It could be established for the first system that the formation rate of metal nanoparticles from silver triflourineacetate solutions depends on the dielectric constant and complexing ability of the solvent. The formation of silver particles proceeds faster in methylcellosolve than in other solvents. The butyl acetate addition to the solution contributes to the complex stability of methylcellosolve with silver triflourineacetate and decelerates the formation process of particles. It could be shown that nitrogen purging of solutions containing poly-N-vinyl-2-pirrolydone affects the silver-ion concentration in the first stage of synthesis and accelerates the formation process of nanoparticles for the second system. The spherical silver nanoparticles which are formed at the first stage of the synthesis are destroyed after starting the UV–irradiation. Then new silver nanoparticles (triangular prisms) are formed.