One-step synthesis of gold and silver hydrosols using poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) as a reducing agent
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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Generation of Zerovalent Metal Core Nanoparticles Using n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminosilanetriol
Published on: February 11, 2016
Cristina E Hoppe1, Massimo Lazzari, Iván Pardiñas-Blanco
1Laboratory of Magnetism and Nanotechnology, Institute of Technological Investigations, Dpt. Physical Chemistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. hoppe@fi.mdp.edu.ar
Abstract:
Synthesis of gold and silver hydrosols was carried out in a one-step process by reduction of aqueous solutions of metal salts using poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP). Both kinds of metal nanoparticles were obtained without the addition of any other reducing agent, at low temperatures and using water as the synthesis solvent. Shape, size, and optical properties of the particles could be tuned by changing the employed PVP/metal salt ratio. It is proposed that PVP acts as the reducing agent suffering a partial degradation during the nanoparticles synthesis. Two possible mechanisms are proposed to explain the reduction step: direct hydrogen abstraction induced by the metal ion and/or reducing action of macroradicals formed during degradation of the polymer. Initial formation of the macroradicals might be associated with the metal-accelerated decomposition of low amounts of peroxides present in the commercial polymer.
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