Local Conditions Influencing In Situ Formation of Different Shaped Silver Nanostructures and Subsequent Reorganizations in Ionomer Membrane

Ionomer membranes are promising platforms for the metal nanostructures and provide possibilities for utilizing unique properties of the nanostructures. However, it is not known how local environment prevailing in the membrane matrix plays a role in the process of formation of different dimensional metal nanostructures, and the subsequent fate of the mesoscopic physical architecture of the matrix. Therefore, different dimensional silver nanostructures were formed in the Nafion-117 membrane by manipulating local environment using carefully selected reductants, varying temperature, and controlled loading of Ag+ ions in the matrix by ion-exchange process. Ag nanostructures thus formed had different sizes and shapes, spherical nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanosponge depending upon in situ reduction and growth conditions. These nanocomposites were studied by combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for understanding the formation and subsequent modifications ...