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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Ligand-Mediated Nucleation and Growth of Palladium Metal Nanoparticles
Published on: June 25, 2018
The role of ligands in coinage-metal nanoparticles for electronics
Ioannis Kanelidis1, Tobias Kraus1,2
1INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
Abstract:
Coinage-metal nanoparticles are key components of many printable electronic inks. They can be combined with polymers to form conductive composites and have been used as the basis of molecular electronic devices. This review summarizes the multidimensional role of surface ligands that cover their metal cores. Ligands not only passivate crystal facets and determine growth rates and shapes; they also affect size and colloidal stability. Particle shapes can be tuned via the ligand choice while ligand length, size, ω-functionalities, and chemical nature influence shelf-life and stability of nanoparticles in dispersions. When particles are deposited, ligands affect the electrical properties of the resulting film, the morphology of particle films, and the nature of the interfaces. The effects of the ligands on sintering, cross-linking, and self-assembly of particles in electronic materials are discussed.
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