Silver nanowire synthesis with (meth)acrylate based capping agents

1. A method for controlling or modifying growth of silver nanowires in a polyol method, comprising:

using, as a capping agent, a polymer obtained by polymerizing polymerizable monomers comprising a monomer of formula (1)

wherein

R1 is H or CH 3

L is a linking group having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon atoms and a total number of 0 to 10 oxygen atoms

Q is O or S or N—R3

Z is O or S or NH

X is O or S or CH 2 or NH, and

R2 and R3 are independently of each other hydrogen, a substituted alkyl having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon atoms and a total number of 0 to 5 heteroatoms, or an unsubstituted alkyl having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon,

or

R2 and R3 together represent an alkanediyl having n carbon atoms wherein n is an integer from 2 to 9, wherein said alkanediyl together with the atom X and the nitrogen atom of N—R3 forms a heterocyclic ring having n+3 ring atoms.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the linking group L is an alkanediyl group having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon atoms, or —CH 2 —CH 2 —(O—CH 2 —CH 2 ) n —, with n being an integer from 1 to 10, and/or

Q is N—R3.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein

Q is N—R3

and

R2 and R3 together represent an alkanediyl having n carbon atoms wherein n is an integer from 2 to 9, wherein said alkanediyl together with the atom X and the nitrogen atom of N—R3 forms a heterocyclic ring having n+3 ring atoms.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein

Z is O

and/or

X is O or CH 2 or NH.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the linking group L is an alkanediyl group selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —CH 2 —CH 2 —, —C(CH 3 )H—CH 2 —, —CH 2 —C(CH 3 )H—, —C(CH 3 )H—C(CH 3 )H—, —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —, and —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —, or is —CH 2 —CH 2 —(O—CH 2 —CH 2 ) n —, with n being an integer from 1 to 3,

Q is N—R3,

R2 and R3 together represent an alkanediyl having n carbon atoms wherein n is an integer from 2 to 9, wherein said alkanediyl together with the atom X and the nitrogen atom of N—R3 forms a heterocyclic ring having n+3 ring atoms,

Z is O, and

X is O or CH 2 or NH.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the linking group L is —CH 2 —CH 2 —, or —CH 2 —CH 2 —(O—CH 2 —CH 2 ) n —, with n being an integer from 1 to 3,

Q is N—R3,

R2 and R3 together represent ethanediyl, wherein said ethanediyl together with the atom X and the nitrogen atom of N—R3 forms a heterocyclic ring having 5 ring atoms,

Z is O, and

X is O or CH 2 or NH.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monomer of formula (1) is selected from the group consisting of:

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer used as the capping agent compound has a weight average molecular weight (M W ) in a range of from 8000 to 4 000 000.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said growth of silver nanowires in a polyol method is conducted in a mixture comprising

said polymer used as the capping agent,

a polyol component,

a silver compound,

and

an oxygen scavenger compound selected from the group consisting of a copper compound, an iron compound and a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer used as the capping agent is obtained by polymerizing the polymerizable monomers comprising

(i) the monomer of formula (1)

and

(ii) other polymerizable monomers different from the monomer of formula (1),

wherein a ratio of the monomer of formula (1) to the other polymerizable monomers is 1:1 or higher.

11. The method of claim 10 ,

wherein the polymer used as the capping agent has a weight average molecular weight (M W ) in a range of from 8000 to 4 000 00.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the polymer used as the capping agent is obtained by polymerizing the polymerizable monomers comprising

(i) the monomer of formula (1)

wherein

L is an alkanediyl group having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon atoms, or —CH 2 —CH 2 —(O—CH 2 —CH 2 ) n —, with n being an integer from 1 to 10

Q is N—R3, and

R2 and R3 together represent an alkanediyl having n carbon atoms wherein n is an integer from 2 to 9, wherein said alkanediyl together with the atom X and the nitrogen atom of N—R3 forms a heterocyclic ring having n+3 ring atoms,

and

(ii) other polymerizable monomers different from the monomer of formula (1),

wherein a ratio of the monomer of formula (1) to the other polymerizable monomers is 1:1 or higher, and

wherein the polymer used as the capping agent has a weight average molecular weight (M W ) in a range of from 8000 to 4 000 000.

13. A method of making silver nanowires, comprising:

providing or preparing a capping agent compound which is a polymer obtainable by polymerizing polymerizable monomers comprising a monomer of formula (1)

wherein

R1 is H or CH 3 ,

L is a linking group having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon atoms and a total number of 0 to 10 oxygen atoms,

Q is O or S or N—R3,

Z is O or S or NH,

X is O or S or CH 2 or NH, and

R2 and R3 are independently of each other hydrogen, a substituted alkyl having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon atoms and a total number of 0 to 5 heteroatoms, or unsubstituted alkyl having a total number of 1 to 25 carbon, or R2 and R3 together represent an alkanediyl having n carbon atoms wherein n is an integer from 2 to 9, wherein said alkanediyl together with the atom X and the nitrogen atom of N—R3 forms a heterocyclic ring having n+3 ring atoms,

preparing a mixture comprising said capping agent compound, a polyol component, and a silver compound, and optionally an oxygen scavenger compound selected from the group consisting of a copper compound, an iron compound and a combination thereof,

reacting said silver compound in said mixture with said polyol component, so that said silver nanowires are produced.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

heating the mixture from a temperature in a range of from 10 to 30° C. to a reaction temperature in a range of from 120 to 160° C. within a period of time not exceeding 2 minutes.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the polyol component comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, glucose, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and glycerin.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reacting of the silver compound with the polyol component

is at least continued until one or more of the resulting silver nanowires have a length along their major axis of 0.5 μm or more,

and/or

has a duration in a range of from 10 min to 120 min,

and/or

has a duration of less than 120 min.

17. The method of claim 13 ,

wherein a molar ratio of the total amount of said monomer of formula (1) to the total amount of silver ions in the mixture is in a range of from 0.1:1 to 40:1.

18. A product, comprising:

a silver nanowire obtained by the method of claim 13 , wherein the silver nanowire has the capping agent compound adsorbed to a surface thereof.