Shape-controlled synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles.

Monodisperse samples of silver nanocubes were synthesized in large quantities by reducing silver nitrate with ethylene glycol in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP). These cubes were single crystals and were characterized by a slightly truncated shape bounded by [100], [110], and [111] facets. The presence of PVP and its molar ratio (in terms of repeating unit) relative to silver nitrate both played important roles in determining the geometric shape and size of the product. The silver cubes could serve as sacrificial templates to generate single-crystalline nanoboxes of gold: hollow polyhedra bounded by six [100] and eight [111] facets. Controlling the size, shape, and structure of metal nanoparticles is technologically important because of the strong correlation between these parameters and optical, electrical, and catalytic properties.