One-step growth of silver nanodendrites and their electrochemical activity

In this work, Ag dendrites were obtained using a one-step green method by Hamelia patens aqueous extract. Cyclic voltammetry measurements evaluated the electrochemical characterization of Ag nanostructures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterized the morphology and structure of the products. SEM images reveal dendrites around 10 µm in size composed of hexagonal plates at the end of their arms. Furthermore, TEM images show hexagonal nanosheets with a thickness of 50 nm having a crystal grown in the (111) orientation. XRD studies confirm the fcc structure of Ag solids. Besides, the dendrites showed catalytic activity and the formation/reduction of Ag2O on the electrode surface.