Redox reactions between metal nitrates and polyols with the formation of nanopowders

Abstract

The reduction of metal nitrates (Cu(NO3)(2) center dot 6H(2)O, AgNO3, and Ni(NO3)(2) center dot 6H(2)O) by polyols under hydrothermal conditions at temperatures of 150-250A degrees C was studied. The possibility of synthesizing copper, silver, and nickel powders with average particle sizes of 10 to 150 nm depending on the concentration of initial reagents, the temperature, and the nature of a reducer was established using X-ray diffraction analysis and atomic force microscopy. Lanthanide and alkali-earth nitrates were shown to form highly dispersed powders of metal carbonates with an average particle size of similar to 23 nm under similar conditions.