Methoxycarbonyl-terminated hyperbranched poly(amine-ester) as templates for synthesis of silver nanoparticles

Highly stable and spherical silver nanoparticles, stabilized by methoxycarbonyl-terminated hyperbranched poly(amine-ester) (HPAE-COOCH(3)), were synthesized in water with reducing AgNO(3)/HPAE-COOCH(3) using two methods, viz. NaBH(4) and ultraviolet irradiation. HPAE-COOCH(3) was found to play a key role in the formation of nanoparticles. UV-visible absorption, Transmission electron microscopic (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) had been used to study the structure and characterization of the silver nanoparticles. The absorption peaks of the silver nanoparticles appear at similar to 420 nm in UV-visible absorption spectra; average particle size reduced by NaBH(4) is similar to 30 nm, which is similar to 10 and similar to 15 nm, respectively, when ultraviolet irradiation time is 12 and 24 h. FT-IR spectra confirm that there is strong interaction between silver nanoparticles and HPAE-COOCH(3). And silver nanoparticles/HPAE-COOCH(3) aqueous solution can keep stable for more than 3 months.