High-concentration preparation of silver nanowires: Restraining in situ nitric acidic etching by steel-assisted polyol method

A steel-assisted polyol method has been proposed for the preparation of Ag nanowires (AgNWs) at high AgNO3 concentrations of up to 0.5 M. The average diameter of products could be adjusted from approximately 100 to 300 nm by increasing the synthetic concentration. It was found that in situ nitric acidic etching was a fatal factor for the stability of the multiply twinned particles (MTPs), which were the seeds of AgNWs in the polyol synthesis system. The introduction of stainless steel could effectively consume the in situ generated nitric acid through a corrosion reaction between them, hence enabling the Survival of MTPs for the consequent growth of AgNWs.