Growth of Ultralong Ag Nanowires by Electroless Deposition in Hot Ethylene Glycol for Flexible Transparent Conducting Electrodes

Figure 6

Optical and SEM images of the Ag products formed after (a) 5, (b) 15, (c) 30, and (d) 60 min, reaction in hot ethylene glycol at 160°C using PVP (MW = 55,000) to Ag NO₃ molar ratio of 3. The inset at (a)i is a pentagonal multiply-twinned particle formed at the initial stage of the reaction. The pointed ends of the nanowires shown in the insets of (b–d)i suggest that twinning has occurred and that the nanowires may have grown from MTPs.