Abstract: Silver nanoparticles with average particles sizes ranging from 2 to 131nm were manipulatively synthesized starting from silver nitrate using different functional group-containing organic modifiers at room temperature. The effects of the organic modifiers on the morphology of the resulting silver nanoparticles were strongly dependent on the intrinsic properties of the functional groups and the reducibility of the reductant. Numerous ether bonds (-O-) present in polyethylene glycol and Tween-80 were beneficial to the formation of silver nanoparticles with particle sizes of several nanometers in a narrow size distribution in both weak and strong reducing environments. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide induced the formation of nanosized silver triangle plates in a weak reducing environment. The crystal growth of the silver nanoparticles with particle sizes of more than 10nm was postulated through an adhesion process of small-sized particles followed by a subsequent coalescence process under the present reaction conditions.

Key words: silver nanoparticle, nanostructure, crystal growth,