Amines and Amine-boranes

This chapter provides a brief description of the use of amines and amine-borane complexes as reducing agents for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. The use of alkyl, aryl amines, hydrazine, amine-borane complexes and, finally, polymeric amines is discussed in relation to their ability to reduce different classes of metallic ions (noble, magnetic, semiconductor, metalloid, etc.). For each type of amine the main mechanisms of formation and stabilization of the formed nanoparticles will be described, based on the most outstanding examples in the literature.