The growth of single crystal silver wires at the nitrobenzene|water interface

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2011 Jul 14;13(26):12254-60. doi: 10.1039/c0cp01469a. Epub 2011 Jun 1.

Abstract

Single crystal silver wires can be grown at the nitrobenzene|water interface when silver ions dissolved in the aqueous phase are reduced by decamethyl ferrocene dissolved in the nitrobenzene phase. The successful growth of these wires depends on a number of experimental conditions, most prominently on the concentration ratio of reactants, nucleation rates, shape of formed nuclei, and wettability of nuclei. The size-time dependence can be modeled on the basis of microelectrode behavior of the silver nuclei and wire. AFM, SEM, light microscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction has been applied to study the morphology of the silver nuclei and wires.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Ferrous Compounds / chemistry
  • Metallocenes
  • Nitrobenzenes / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Silver / chemistry*
  • Water / chemistry
  • Wettability

Substances

  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Metallocenes
  • Nitrobenzenes
  • Water
  • Silver
  • nitrobenzene
  • ferrocene