Technical Specifications:
- Material: Silver Nanopowder (Ag)
- Purity: 99.99% or higher
- Particle Size: 50-80 nm (nanometers)
- Surface Coating: Approximately 0.2% Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
- Shape: Spherical or nearly spherical nanoparticles
- Density: Approximately 10.49 g/cm³
- Melting Point: Approximately 961.8°C (1,763°F)
- Boiling Point: 2,162°C (3,924°F)
Chemical Composition:
- Silver (Ag): ~99.99%
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP): ~0.2% (surface stabilizer)
Applications:
1. Electronics and Conductive Inks:
- Silver nanopowder is widely used in the manufacture of conductive inks for printed electronics, printed circuit boards (PCBs), flexible electronics, and RFID tags. The fine particle size of 50-80 nm ensures high conductivity for use in high-frequency applications and flexible electronic devices.
- The PVP coating ensures that the silver nanoparticles remain well-dispersed, preventing aggregation, and ensures consistent electrical properties.
2. Catalysis:
- Silver nanoparticles exhibit excellent catalytic properties in oxidation and reduction reactions. Due to their high surface area, silver nanoparticles are used as catalysts or catalyst supports in hydrogenation, carbon monoxide oxidation, and environmental catalysis applications.
- The PVP coating helps maintain the stability of the nanoparticles and prevents agglomeration during catalytic processes, enhancing their efficiency in chemical reactions.
3. Antimicrobial and Antibacterial Applications:
- Silver nanoparticles are renowned for their antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. The fine particle size combined with the PVP coating enhances the material’s biocidal activity, making it suitable for use in medical devices, wound dressings, personal care products, and water purification systems.
- The PVP-coated silver nanoparticles are incorporated into antimicrobial coatings for surfaces, textiles, and medical equipment to provide long-lasting protection against bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
4. Sensors and Diagnostics:
- Silver nanoparticles are commonly used in biosensors and chemical sensors due to their high reactivity and surface area. The PVP coating ensures stability and prevents agglomeration, maintaining consistent sensor performance.
- Silver nanopowder is used in diagnostic assays, biosensing applications, and point-of-care diagnostics for the detection of biological markers, toxins, pathogens, and pollutants.
5. Energy Storage and Conversion:
- Silver nanopowder is used in the development of supercapacitors, batteries, and fuel cells due to its high conductivity and large surface area. These properties improve the charge storage and energy conversion efficiency of energy storage devices.
- It is used in the fabrication of electrodes for supercapacitors, batteries, and solar cells, contributing to enhanced performance and longer life cycles.
6. Optical and Plasmonic Applications:
- Silver nanoparticles exhibit unique plasmonic properties that make them useful in optical applications such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), nano-optics, and optical coatings.
- The PVP coating stabilizes the nanoparticles, ensuring their uniform dispersion and enhancing their use in biosensing, imaging, and molecular detection applications, where light-matter interactions are enhanced for sensitive detection.
7. Photothermal Therapy:
- Silver nanoparticles are explored for photothermal therapy, especially in cancer treatment. When exposed to laser light, silver nanoparticles absorb energy and convert it into heat, selectively targeting tumor cells and inducing hyperthermic treatment.
- The PVP coating helps prevent nanoparticle aggregation and ensures better dispersion in biological systems, improving the efficacy of photothermal treatments.
8. Coatings and Functionalized Materials:
- Silver nanoparticles are used to create functional coatings for electronics, sensors, water treatment systems, and surfaces due to their electrical conductivity, antimicrobial properties, and optical enhancement. The PVP coating ensures the nanoparticles remain well-dispersed, preventing aggregation and improving coating consistency.
- These coatings are used in antibacterial surfaces, electronics, and textiles where long-lasting properties are required.
9. Textiles and Fabrics:
- Silver nanoparticles are incorporated into fabrics to provide antibacterial and odor-control properties. The nanoparticle size ensures effective bonding to fabric fibers, providing long-lasting protection against bacteria, mold, and odors.
- Applications include medical clothing, sportswear, masks, and bedding where antimicrobial resistance is essential for maintaining hygiene and durability.
10. Research and Development:
- Silver nanopowder is used extensively in materials science, biotechnology, and nanotechnology research. The PVP-coated silver nanoparticles are widely studied for their stability, biocompatibility, and functionality, offering exciting possibilities in drug delivery, nanocomposites, and advanced technologies.
- Researchers use silver nanoparticles for nanoelectronics, advanced coatings, energy storage systems, and biomedical applications such as imaging and therapeutics.
Summary:
Silver Nanopowder (Ag, 99.99%, 50-80 nm, w/~0.2% PVP) is a versatile and high-performance material with excellent electrical conductivity, catalytic properties, antimicrobial effects, and plasmonic characteristics. The PVP coating ensures that the nanoparticles remain stable and well-dispersed, which enhances their performance in a variety of applications, including electronics, catalysis, medical devices, energy storage, biosensing, and optical technologies. The small particle size (50-80 nm) and high purity make it ideal for next-generation technologies in nanomedicine, green chemistry, biotechnology, and materials science.
