Facile fabrication and catalytic property of 'flower-like' silver nanoparticles

This Letter describes a new approach for synthesis of flower-like silver nanostructured particles by using a polystyrene (PS) template. Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared successively by the addition of AgNO3 aqueous solution to the dispersion, adsorption of Ag+ ions on the surfaces of a functional PS template and then the reduction of Ag+ ions to flower-like silver NPs by aqueous hydrazine hydrate. The nanostructured particles are characterised by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the size of Ag NPs was mainly between 60 and 150 nm with flower-like morphology. The Ag NPs showed good catalytic properties in the oxidation-reduction reaction of methylene blue by NaBH4.