Formation of silver nanowires in aqueous solutions of a double-hydrophilic block copolymer

A novel, wet chemical approach is reported for the facile synthesis of silver nanowires with diameters in the range of 20-40 nm in aqueous solutions of a double-hydrophilic block copolymer (DHBC) PEO-b-PMAA. Investigation of the time-dependent formation of the silver nanowires revealed that they were produced through a directed aggregation growth process and the formation of DHBC micelles could play an important role in nanowire formation.