Date of Award
Spring 2026
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Chemistry BS
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First Advisor
Dr. Shohreh Hemmati
Advisor Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Abstract
Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are critical building blocks for transparent conductive films (TCFs) in flexible electronics, yet their commercial viability is hindered by environmentally hazardous, energy-intensive synthesis methods and limited intrinsic chemical stability. This study investigated a fully green, room-temperature (25℃) batch synthesis of pristine AgNWs using tannic acid as a biodegradable dual reducing and capping agent under strict kinetic pH control (pH 1.25). To enhance oxidative resistance, a subsequent surface modification protocol was evaluated to deposit a protective palladium (Pd) shell using L-ascorbic acid (LAA) as a secondary reducing agent. The pristine green synthesis yielded one-dimensional Ag nanostructures with a mean length of 2.25 ± 1.36 µm and an aspect ratio of 28.4, demonstrating the feasibility of a room-temperature, aqueous, polyol-free route. Because AgNW network performance in transparent conductors is highly sensitive to wire length and aspect ratio, this geometry shift is expected to increase the nanowire density required to achieve percolation. Collectively, these results indicate that a stoichiometric deficit of L-ascorbic acid drives competition between LAA-mediated Pd reduction and galvanic replacement pathways, ultimately governing structural integrity during modification. Future optimization should therefore focus on tuning reducing-agent stoichiometry and dosing conditions to suppress galvanic replacement and, where appropriate, target controlled low Pd coverage (e.g., ~5% surface coverage) rather than full core-shell formation.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Neal, Finley, "Competitive Reaction Pathways in the Fully Green Synthesis and Surface Modification of Silver Nanowires Under L-Ascorbic Acid-Limited Conditions" (2026). Honors Theses. 1084.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/1084