There is provided an inexpensive silver particle dispersing solution being usable as a slurry for ink jet, a method for producing the same, and a method for producing a conductive film using the silver particle dispersing solution. In a silver particle dispersing solution containing a silver powder and a solvent, the silver powder has an average primary particle diameter (D.sub.SEM) of 0.15 to 0.5 μm, and the ratio (D.sub.50/D.sub.SEM) of a particle diameter (D.sub.50), which corresponds to 50% of accumulation in volume-based cumulative distribution of the silver powder, to the average primary particle diameter (D.sub.SEM) is not less than 1.7, the silver powder having a fatty acid adhered to the surface thereof, and the solvent containing a monohydric higher alcohol having a carbon number of 6 to 12, butyl carbitol or butyl carbitol acetate as the main component thereof.

Provided herein is a composition for eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles having an average particle size ranging from about 0.5 nanometers to less than about 5000 nanometers and at least one organoamine stabilizer. Also provided herein is a process for preparing eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles comprising mixing at least one organic polar solvent, at least one organoamine stabilizer, and a eutectic metal alloy to create a mixture; sonicating the mixture at a temperature above the melting point of the eutectic metal alloy; and collecting a composition comprising a plurality of eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles having an average particle size ranging from about 0.5 nanometers to less than about 5000 nanometers. Further disclosed herein are hybrid conductive ink compositions comprising a component comprising a plurality of metal nanoparticles and a component comprising a plurality of eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of thin silver nanoparticle layers, which are produced directly on a substrate as part of a coating or printing process. The layers show different colours in transmittance and reflectance. The layers do not show the typical conductivity of metallic layers, since the particles are essentially discrete particles which are not sintered. The invention further relates to decorative and security elements. When the layers are applied over a security element, such as a hologram, the obtained products show also different colours in reflection and transmission, an extremely bright optically variable image (OVD image) and high purity and contrast. Depending on the thickness of the layer a more or less intensive metallic aspect appears.

With an aim to provide an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics, the present invention provides a method for producing an oxide particle, wherein the color characteristics of the oxide particle are controlled by controlling a M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio, which is a ratio of a M-OH bond between an element (M) and a hydroxide group (OH) to a ratio of an M-O bond between the element (M) and oxygen (O), where the element (M) is one or plural different elements other than oxygen or hydrogen included in the oxide particle selected from metal oxide particles and semi-metal oxide particles. According to the present invention, by controlling the M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio of the metal oxide particle or the semi-metal oxide particle, the oxide particle with controlled color characteristics of any of reflectance, transmittance, molar absorption coefficient, hue, and saturation can be provided.

The present disclosure provides an electrically conductive material, a printing ink and a method for manufacturing an electrically conductive structure. The electrically conductive material includes a plurality of electrically conductive metal nanoplates and electrically conductive metal nanoparticles filled in gaps between the plurality of the electrically conductive metal nanoplates.

The present disclosure provides an electrically conductive material, a printing ink and a method for manufacturing an electrically conductive structure. The electrically conductive material includes a plurality of electrically conductive metal nanoplates and electrically conductive metal nanoparticles filled in gaps between the plurality of the electrically conductive metal nanoplates.

The present invention pertains generally to the detection of molecules. In some embodiments, it pertains to the determination of molecules, qualitatively and/or quantitatively, using the assembly of nanoparticles into superstructures, e.g., with a predefined shape. In some embodiments, a sample comprising a target molecule to be determined, such as DNA, is exposed to a first nanostructure and a second nanostructure, which may be formed from one or more nanoparticles. In the presence of the target molecule, the first nanostructure and the second nanostructure may assemble, e.g., spontaneously, to form a molecule superstructure. In some cases, the molecular superstructures can be identified by some combination of optical microscopy and automated image processing. In other cases, the molecular superstructure is able to scatter or diffract light, such as visible or ultraviolet light. For example, in the presence of a target molecule, the superstructure may comprise a plurality of nanostructures in regular dynamic spacing, which may scatter or diffract light. By determining such light, the target molecule within the sample may be determined. Other embodiments are generally directed to such molecular superstructures, techniques for making or using such molecular superstructures, devices incorporating such molecular superstructures, or the like.

There are provided a spherical silver powder which has the same diameter as that of a spherical silver powder produced by a conventional wet reduction method and which can sufficiently sinter the silver particles thereof to cause the silver particles to be adhered to each other at a relatively low temperature to form a conductive film having a low volume resistivity when it is used for a baked type conductive paste, and a method for producing the same. A spherical silver powder, which contains a neutral or basic amino acid having a carbon number of not less than 5 in each of particles thereof and which has an average particle diameter D.sub.50 of 0.2 to 5 μm based on a laser diffraction method, is produced by adding the neutral or basic amino acid having the carbon number of not less than 5 (such as proline, tyrosine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, arginine or histidine) to a water reaction system containing silver ions to mix a reducing agent therewith to deposit silver particles by reduction.

A sintering powder comprising copper particles, wherein: the particles are at least partially coated with a capping agent, and the particles exhibit a D10 of greater than or equal to 100 nm and a D90 of less than or equal to 2000 nm.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a metal nanocube with a controlled corner sharpness index, comprising a step of reacting with a first surfactant and a predetermined surface-protecting agent; a method for preparing a metal nanocube aggregate having a purity of 95% or more, comprising a step of centrifuging in the presence of a second surfactant; a probe composition comprising the metal nanocube or metal nanocube aggregate prepared by the method; and a gold (Au) nanocube having an average edge length of 20 nm or less.