title: Silver Nanoparticle Generators: Silicon Dioxide Microspheres.
abstract: A green and simple approach has been developed to synthesize un-coated Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in situ on the surface of thiol-group-functionalized silica dioxide microspheres (TSMs) in the aqueous solution. As soon as the Ag+ions attach onto the surface of TSMs, nucleation and growth of AgNPs can spontaneously complete within one minute without other reducing agents or capping agents. The main reason is that the self-assembled silane-layer formed by mercaptosilane molecules could reduce the Ag0formation energy, transport electrons efficiently, improve the nucleation density, and protect AgNPs against oxidation. Thus, the supported AgNPs show excellent chemical/photochemical stability in air and solution. Meanwhile, the size of as-prepared AgNPs could be controlled by tuning the concentration of Ag+ions. This process provides a general route to generate bare AgNPs on the surface of silica dioxide in situ, which might be extended to other materials and is promising in developing novel methodologies for making supported noble metal NPs with desired structure and properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, 45 Chengde Street, Jilin, 132022, P. R. China.|State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yingdi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yanlei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, 45 Chengde Street, Jilin, 132022, P. R. China.|State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qihui
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-3258
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jianguang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: in situ preparation; nanoparticles; silica dioxide microspheres; silver nanoparticles; thiol group