Abstract
Silver colloids have been prepared by the direct borohydride reduction of silver nitrate in a variety of nonaqueous solvents: acrylonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile, and N,N′dimethylformamide (DMF). The dispersions were stable without the addition of ionic or polymeric stabilizing agents. Colloidal silver is formed spontaneously in DMF upon the addition of AgNO3. UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry has been used to characterize sol particle size and sol stability. Colloids prepared in DMF and CH3CN are suitable for use in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The first SERS spectrum of a neutral species adsorbed at a nonaqueous-metal interface has been obtained: that of tert-butylamine in an acetonitrile silver sol. This is also the first SER spectrum obtained from an anhydrous colloidal dispersion. The adsorbate-surface interactions and adsorbate orientation are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 483-491 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Colloid and Interface Science |
| Volume | 105 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1985 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors thank Victoria Schaaf for helpful discussions and experimental assistance. This work was supported by funds made available by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.
Funding
The authors thank Victoria Schaaf for helpful discussions and experimental assistance. This work was supported by funds made available by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Faculty of Arts and Sciences | |
| University of Pittsburgh |