Direct synthesis of narrowly dispersed silver nanoparticles using a single-source precursor

We describe a direct synthetic method for preparing narrowly dispersed silver nanoparticles without using size-selection processes by thermal reduction of silver trifluoroacetate in isoamyl ether in the presence of oleic acid. This direct synthesis is versatile, easy to control synthetically, and able to make Ag nanoparticles with diameters in the range of 7-11 nm with narrow size distribution. The diameter of these nanoparticles can be tuned by varying the oleic acid to silver trifluoroacetate molar ratio. Ostwald ripening can also be used to make Ag nanoparticles with different sizes. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction.