Nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) loaded with silver can serve as templates for ordered nanostructures, say US scientists.
Mark Allendorf, at Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, and colleagues impregnated a MOF with silver then exposed the MOF to an electron beam. The beam broke down the template, leading to silver coalescence and the formation of ordered silver nanostructures.
The method forms either silver nanoparticles or nanowires depending on the MOF’s structure and the extent of silver loading, explains Allendorf.
Although the synthesis of silver nanowires and nanoparticles have been previously reported, this new route can generate structures with diameters less than 10 nanometres, which has previously been very challenging.
Allendorf’s Chemical Science Edge article is available to download for free.
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