Template preparation of high-density, and large-area Ag nanowire array by acetaldehyde reduction

Highly ordered silver nanowire arrays were prepared using a new effective template method, in which silver ions and acetaldehyde were conversely transported into the nanochannels of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates by diffusion or convection, and then reacted to form the one-dimension structure of silver by confining growth. Electron microscope images show that the silver nanowires are abundant, parallel and well-ordered in large-area. It is estimated that the diameter of the individual nanowire is about 60 nm and the length is more than 30 μm. The data of X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns indicate that the silver nanowire is crystalline with face-centered-cubic structure.