Replacement reaction-assisted synthesis of silver nanoparticles by jet for conductive ink

Synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles with controllable morphology and with high purity remains challenging. In this work, single crystalline Ag nanoparticles with uniform morphology and high purity are successfully synthesized based on the replacement reaction between aqueous Ag nitrate (AgNO₃) and solid copper (Cu) via jet. We further demonstrate that the developed jet method is facile and morphology-controllable. It is believed that diffusion limited aggregation and oriented attachment mechanisms are responsible for the formation of Ag nanostructures. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by different techniques. Finally, the Ag nanoparticles are successfully applied to prepare the conductive ink for flexible electronics and wearable equipment. Furthermore, the conductivity, flexibility and stability of the conductive material are measured. The conductive pattern exhibits lowest resistivity of 6.7 μΩ cm, showing the good conductivity of the prepared conductive material. In addition, the prepared conductive material is flexible in nature and exhibits stability over a long period. (paper)