A silver powder containing dendrite silver particles is provided. The dendrite silver particles are in a dendrite shape having one trunk and a plurality of branches branching from the trunk. The thickness of the trunk of the dendrite silver particles is from 10 to 280 nm. The number of the branches per length of the trunk is from 6 to 30 branches/.Math.m. The percentage by number of the dendrite silver particles in the whole of silver particles is 50 N% or more. This silver powder is produced by reducing silver ions through electrolysis of an electrolyte solution containing silver ions and hydantoin or a derivative thereof.

The present invention provides a nickel nanowire, which is resistant to break by stress. The present invention relates to a nickel nanowire having a face-centered cubic lattice structure and a crystallite size in a direction of a (111) lattice plane of 10 nm or less.

In one aspect, the present disclosure pertains to methods of making various noble metal nanoprisms, e.g., gold nanoprisms. In various aspects, the methods can comprise incubating, under dark conditions, a growth solution comprising: (a) a plurality of gold seed structures; (b) a gold precursor, and (c) a photocatalytic intermediary, such that during the incubating step multiply-twinned gold seed structures in the growth solution are preferentially enlarged. The disclosed methods can comprise separating the multiply-twinned gold seed structures from the growth solution based upon the size of the gold seed structures to produce an enriched growth solution. In some aspects, the methods comprise irradiating the enriched growth solution to produce the gold nanoprisms. In some aspects, the disclosed nanoprisms comprise silver.

A new seedless synthesis of anisotropic nanoscale gold nanoflower (AuNF) particles uses bidentate thiolate ligands to protect the nanoparticle surface and a combination of reagents (for example, ligand, ascorbic acid, and hydroxide) to synthesis AuNF with controlled size and anisotropic properties. Compared to prior art gold nanospheres, AuNF produced approximately a 15-fold improvement in a drug delivery assay.

Disclosed herein is a composite material suitable for use in surface-enhanced Raman scattering, the material comprising a substrate layer having a surface; a plurality of layers of core-shell particles formed on the surface of the substrate layer, wherein the core is formed from a plasmonic metal nanoparticle, and the shell is formed from a metal-organic framework (MOF), and wherein the plurality of layers of core-shell particles provide a thickness of from 0.5 to 10 um on the surface of the substrate layer. In specific embodiments, the plasmonic metal nanoparticles are silver nanocubes, and the MOF is ZIF-8.

In one aspect, the present disclosure pertains to methods of making various noble metal nanoprisms, e.g., gold nanoprisms. In various aspects, the methods can comprise incubating, under dark conditions, a growth solution comprising: (a) a plurality of gold seed structures; (b) a gold precursor, and (c) a photocatalytic intermediary, such that during the incubating step multiply-twinned gold seed structures in the growth solution are preferentially enlarged. The disclosed methods can comprise separating the multiply-twinned gold seed structures from the growth solution based upon the size of the gold seed structures to produce an enriched growth solution. In some aspects, the methods comprise irradiating the enriched growth solution to produce the gold nanoprisms. In some aspects, the disclosed nanoprisms comprise silver.

Described herein are metal nanoparticle superstructures and methods and compounds for making the same.

A silver powder mixture that is suitable for forming a conductive film on a surface of a member having stretchability, a method for producing the same, and a conductive paste using the silver powder mixture is provided. A silver powder mixture containing filamentous silver powder including spherical and filamentous parts and flaky silver powder having an average particle diameter of 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less and an aspect ratio, which is defined by a ratio of an average long diameter and an average thickness, of 1.5 or more is obtained by adding one kind or two or more kinds of a salt of copper and aluminum and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to a silver nitrate aqueous solution, for 60 seconds or more, and then adding a reducing agent containing one kind or two or more kinds of L-ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, and salts thereof.

Self-assembly methods are provided for making hedgehog-shaped microparticles or nanoparticles. The method may comprise combining a metal-containing (e.g., Fe, Au) precursor, a chalcogen-containing precursor (e.g., Se, S), and a self-assembly additive (e.g., dodecanethiol (DT), oleylamine (OLA), hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)). At least one hedgehog-shaped nanoscale, mesoscale, or microscale particle is formed that defines a core region formed of a first material and a plurality of needles connected to and substantially orthogonal to a surface of the core region. The needles comprise a second material. At least one of the first or the second material comprises iron or gold and optionally selenium or sulfur, for example, iron diselenide (FeSe2). Hedgehog-shaped microparticles or nanoparticles formed from such self-assembly methods are also provided. The semiconductor nature of FeSe2 hedgehog-shaped particles enables their utilization in biomimetic catalysis, drug delivery, optics, and energy storage, by way of non-limiting example.

The present disclosure relates to a method for synthesizing Pd nanocubes having an average size less than 10 nm. The reaction temperature, reaction time, and molar ratios of TOP/Pd-OLA can be used to control size and formation of the Pd nanocubes. The present disclosure is also directed to Pd nanocubes, less than 10 nm, having face centered cubic structures. Pd nanocubes of the present disclosure are an effective catalyst for CO.sub.2 reduction reaction with excellent selectivity for CO. Small sized Pd nanocubes can be used not only as the seeds to prepare other metal nanocubes, but can also as powerful catalysts for a wide variety of reactions in different industrial processes.