Water Soluble Silver Nanoparticles Functionalized with Thiolate

Stable carboxylate-functionalized silver nanoparticles (1.4 - 5.7 nm in diameter) which can be separated as pure waterredispersible powder are synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride in the presence of mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) in methanol. The results show that the particle sizes can be controlled through varying the initial molar ratio of MSA to AgNO3. MSA exists in the form of sodium carboxylate and adsorbs H2O molecules on the particle surface.