(296b) Silver Nanoparticles Stabilized By ?-Zirconium Phosphate Nanosheets

Silver Nanoparticles Stabilized by α-Zirconium Phosphate Nanosheets

Jingfang Yu, Johnathan E. Sims, Luyi Sun*

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization Program, Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, TX 78666

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized in the presence of exfoliated α-zirconium phosphate nanosheet dispersion using two reducing agents: glucose and NaBH₄. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were successfully stabilized by the individual α-zirconium phosphate nanosheets to form stable dispersions, as evidenced by various imaging techniques. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The presence of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD along with UV-Vis. The TEM characterization results showed that the two reducing agents produced different particle sizes. The Ag nanoparticles reduced by glucose were ca. 25 nm in diameter, while the Ag nanoparticles reduced by NaBH₄ possessed larger size, ranging from ca. 40 to 80 nm.