We have characterized the silver nanoparticles with transmission electron microscopy. The size and selleckchem abundance of the resulting particles depend on the AgNO3 concentration. Their diameter is in the range of 2 to 40 nm. In Figures 3 and 4, we present
micrographs of Dorsomorphin purchase the obtained silver nanoparticles after 24 and 96 h of the beginning of the reaction, for the different AgNO3 concentrations. For a reacting time of 24 h (Figure 3), we can appreciate that for C AgNO3 = 2.5 mM (micrograph A), the population is composed mainly of scattered, small nanoparticles. As the C AgNO3 increases, bigger nanoparticles are observed, while the proportion of small nanoparticles decreases. This trend is somehow maintained for a reacting time of 96 h (Figure 4). From the micrographs, we can observe that a population of big nanoparticles, in coexistence with a small proportion of small particles, is clearly appreciated. Furthermore, the size of the bigger particles increases as C AgNO3 is increased, while at the same time, the proportion of small nanoparticle decreases. Note that we do not observe particle coalescence, probably due to a stabilizing effect produced by the antioxidant molecules. Figure 3 TEM micrographs of the silver nanoparticles obtained for different AgNO 3 concentrations. (A) 2.5 mM, (B) 5 mM, (C) 7.5 mM, and (D) 15 mM, after a reaction time of 24 h. Figure 4 TEM micrographs of the silver nanoparticles
obtained for different AgNO 3 concentrations. (A) 2.5 mM, 3-MA mouse (B) 5 mM, (C) 7.5 mM, and (D) 15 mM, after a reaction time of 96 h. We have quantified these tendencies by statistically analyzing a population of more than 500 nanoparticles for each reaction time. The results are shown in Figure 5, where for matters of clarity, we present the full histograms for 96 h of reaction time, and only a representative curve for 24 h. For the shorter reaction time (24 h, black curves
in Figure 5), most of the particles are small, with an average diameter around 3 to 5 nm. For 96 h after the beginning of the reaction, two populations are clearly distinguishable in the histograms. The first one is a subpopulation of small nanoparticles of average diameter around 4 to 5 nm. However, there exists also a considerable fraction of nanoparticles with larger average diameters, Coproporphyrinogen III oxidase of the order of 10 to 20 nm. The average diameter of these larger particles grows with an increase in the AgNO3 concentration. Figure 5 Size distribution of the obtained silver nanoparticles for different values of the AgNO 3 concentration. (A) 2.5 mM, (B) 5 mM, (C) 7.5 mM, and (D) 15 mM, and two reaction times (24 and 96 h). For clarity, we display the full histogram and a fit (green curve) for 96 h, but only the fit (black curve) for 24 h. Note the two populations for a reaction time of 96 h. The statistical analysis has been performed with more than 500 nanoparticles in each case.