Microwave-assisted preparation of silver nanoparticles

We succeeded in preparing silver (Ag) nanoparticles by alcohol reduction of fatty acid silver salts under microwave irradiation (2.45 GHz) for 1-5 min at 413-430 K. The average sizes of Ag nanoparticles were controlled in the range from 4.9 to 7.4 nm only by changing length of the alkyl chains in the fatty acids.