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Silver–Polymer Composite Stars: Synthesis and Applications
Author(s) -
Homan Kimberly A.,
Chen Jeffrey,
Schiano Adriane,
Mohamed Mona,
Willets Katherine A.,
Murugesan Sankaran,
Stevenson Keith J.,
Emelianov Stanislav
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201001556
Subject(s) - materials science , trisodium citrate , vinyl alcohol , catalysis , chemical engineering , polymer , raman spectroscopy , nanotechnology , composite number , nanoscopic scale , organic chemistry , composite material , chemistry , physics , optics , engineering
Colloidal “silver stars” were synthesized upon poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic) acid nanosphere templates via a facile two‐step silver reduction method. Myriad dendrimer‐like Ag star morphologies were synthesized by varying the amount of poly(vinyl alcohol) and trisodium citrate used during silver reduction. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that star‐shaped silver–polymer composites possessing nanoscopic, fractal morphologies with diameters ranging from 500 nm to 7 μm were produced. These composites have broad applications from antibacterial agents to catalysis; two such applications were tested here. Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies showed multiple hot spots of SERS activity within a single star. Electrochemical catalysis experiments demonstrated the feasibility of using the silver stars instead of platinum for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline fuel cells.