Coating nonfunctionalized silica spheres with a high density of discrete silver nanoparticles

Reducing AgNO $$_3$$ by glucose at basic pH coated the surface of silica spheres were coated with a high density of hemispherical silver nanoparticles by direct reduction. The average diameter of the nanoparticles was 3.2 $$\pm $$ 1 nm. A much lower silver concentration than is a standard favored heterogeneous nucleation of silver on the silica surface at the expense of homogeneous nucleation in solution. The slow growth rate of the nuclei promoted the formation of discrete silver particles rather than a continuous shell. Based on scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the surface coverage of silver seed particles was as high as 25 % at 10 °C without prior functionalization of the silica. The particles were composed of metallic silver based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. There was a sharp increase in the silver surface coverage and a decrease in the particle size when the temperature was raised from 5 to 10 °C and the amount of silica was decreased from 0.2 to 0.025 V/V%. The size was controlled by the diffusion barrier through the ion shell surrounding the silica spheres and by maintaining reaction conditions where the particles on the surface compete for silver.