Method for preparing hollow silver particles and core-shell silver particles

Abstract

A method for preparing core-shell and hollow silver particles is provided. In the method silver salts and glycine nitrate or starch are mixed with solvent to form precursor solution. The mole percentage of the silver salts over the silver salts plus glycine nitrate or starch is 5 to 50 mol %. The precursor solution is then atomized to form precursor droplets. The precursor droplets are heated by pyrolysis to form silver particles. The composition of the precursor solution can be adjusted to finely manipulate the structure of the silver particles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing core-shell and hollow silver particles, comprising:
 mixing a silver salt with a glycine nitrate or starch as a solute in a polar solvent to form a precursor solution, wherein the mole percentage of the silver salt over the silver salts plus glycine nitrate or starch is 5 to 50 mol %;   atomizing the precursor solution to form a plurality of precursor droplets; and   heating the precursor droplets to pyrolyze the precursor droplets to form the core-shell silver particles and the hollow silver particles.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in mixing the silver salt with the glycine nitrate or the starch as the solute in the polar solvent to form the precursor solution, the silver salt plus glycine nitrate or starch are 0.01-10 wt % to the precursor solution. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in mixing the silver salt with the glycine nitrate or the starch as the solute in the polar solvent to form a precursor solution, the silver salt is silver nitrate or silver acetate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in mixing the silver salt with the glycine nitrate or the starch as the solute in the polar solvent to form a precursor solution, the polar solvent is water. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in mixing the silver salt with the glycine nitrate or the starch as the solute in the polar solvent to form a precursor solution, the solute weight percentage concentration of the precursor solution is 1 wt %. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mole percentage of the silver salt over the silver salts plus the glycine nitrate or the starch of the precursor solution is between 12.5-50 mol %, and the formed silver particles are the core-shell silver particles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mole percentage of the silver salt over the silver salts plus the glycine nitrate or the starch of the precursor solution is less than 12.5 mol %, and the formed silver particles are the hollow silver particles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein heating the precursor droplets to pyrolyze the precursor droplets further comprising:
 evaporating the polar solvent of the precursor droplets;   precipitating the solute of the precursor droplets; and   pyrolyzing the solute.   
     
     
         9 . A core-shell or hollow silver particle manufactured by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . The silver particle of  claim 9 , wherein the core-shell silver particle comprising:
 a silver core;   a silver shell encapsulating the silver core; and   a hollow structure between the silver core and the silver shell.