Structural defects and their role in the growth of Ag triangular nanoplates

The influence of structural defects in the formation of silver nanoplates synthesized by the photochemical seed-mediated method is addressed. The results show that anisotropic growth starts at the very beginning of the reaction by epitaxial anisotropic deposition of Ag atoms on defective seeds. Insights into the role of capping molecules and the minor role played by surface plasmon excitation regarding the origin of the anisotropy in this method are provided.