Temperature controlled synthesis of silver nanostructures of variable morphologies in aqueous methyl cellulose matrix

Abstract Spherical, hexagonal, triangular and bar shaped silver nanostructures have been synthesized at large scale in aqueous media using methyl cellulose (MC) as soft template. Synthesis is based on the reduction of Ag + by hydrogen at different temperatures. Morphology of particles is mostly spherical at 60 °C with an average diameter 4–8 nm, whereas hexagonal, triangular and truncated hexagon silver nanostructures are obtained at 80 °C. On the other hand bar shaped silver nanoparticles are formed as the reaction is carried out at 90 °C. Silver nanoparticles are characterized using UV–Vis and TEM study. Formation of silver nanostructures of variable morphologies has been explained in terms of different shaped template formed by MC at different temperature due to its thermogelation properties.