The Effect of Hydrothermal Treatment on Silver Nanoparticles Stabilized by Chitosan and Its Possible Application to Produce Mesoporous Silver Powder

Aggregation state of silver nanoparticles dispersed in an aqueous solution greatly varies with storage and treatment conditions. In this study, silver nanoparticles synthesized in chitosan solution by a chemical reduction method were hydrothermally treated at different temperatures. The variation in the aggregation state of silver nanoparticles in the solution was observed by UV-Vis spectroscopy and field emission transmission electron microscopy. Results indicated that a phase transition occurred while silver nanoparticles were hydrothermally treated for 5 h at 100 and 120∘C; however, they aggregated and completely precipitated at 150∘C. Mesoporous silver powder obtained by hydrothermal treatment at 150∘C was characterized by using X-ray diffraction technique, BET analyzer, and scanning electron spectroscope.