Publications [#234843] of Benjamin J. Wiley

Journal Articles

1. Skrabalak, SE; Wiley, BJ; Kim, M; Formo, EV; Xia, Y, On the polyol synthesis of silver nanostructures: glycolaldehyde as a reducing agent., Nano letters, vol. 8 no. 7 (July, 2008), pp. 2077-2081, ISSN 1530-6984 (*co-first author.) [doi]
   (last updated on 2026/01/16)

   Abstract:
   The polyol synthesis is a popular method of preparing metal nanostructures, yet the mechanism by which metal ions are reduced is poorly understood. Using a spectrophotometric method, we show, for the first time, that heating ethylene glycol (EG) in air results in its oxidation to glycolaldehyde (GA), a reductant capable of reducing most noble metal ions. The dependence of reducing power on temperature for EG can be explained by this temperature-dependent oxidation, and the factors influencing GA production can have a profound impact on the nucleation and growth kinetics. These new findings provide critical insight into how the polyol synthesis can be used to generate metal nanostructures with well-controlled shapes. For example, with the primary reductant identified, it becomes possible to evaluate and understand its explicit role in generating nanostructures of a specific shape to the exclusion of others.