Controlled synthesis of Ag2S, Ag2Se, and Ag nanofibers using a general sacrificial template and their application in electronic device fabrication

Nanofiber bundles of Ag2S, Ag2Se, and Ag have been successfully synthesized by making use of Ag2C2O4 template nanofiber bundles, utilizing both anion-exchange and redox reactions. The obtained bundles were polycrystalline nanofibers composed of nanoparticles in which the precursor morphology was well-preserved, indicating that Ag2C2O4 nanofiber bundles acted as a general sacrificial template for the synthesis of silver-based semiconductor and metal nanofibers. Dispersing media and transforming reactants were found to be key factors influencing the chemical transformation in the system. In particular, separate single-crystalline Ag nanofibers were obtained via a nontemplate route when ascorbic acid was used as a relatively weak reductant. An electrical transfer and switching device was built with the obtained Ag2S and Ag nanofiber bundles, utilizing the unique ion-conductor nature of Ag2S and revealing their potential applications in electronics.