Formation of nonspherical silver nanoparticles by the photochemical reduction of silver cations in the presence of a partially decarboxylated poly(acrylic acid)

The complexation and photoreduction of silver cations by poly(acrylic acid) subjected to a partial decarboxylation under photolysis in the presence of oxygen were studied. It was shown that as the degree of decarboxylation gr ows, the constant of complex dissociation increases, the characteristic com position of the complex changes, and the cooperativity of binding is lost t o an appreciable extent. The photoreduction of silver cations in the presen ce of the partially decarboxylated polyacid allows one to obtain stable par ticles of the rodlike type, and the length of these particles may achieve 5 00 nm.