Monodispersity and size control in the synthesis of 20–100 nm quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles by citrate and ascorbic acid reduction in glycerol–water mixtures

A simple two-step seed-mediated synthesis of monodisperse quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles by citrate and ascorbic acid reduction is presented. Control over monodispersity is achieved by a variety of compounds with hydroxyl groups such as glycerol, ethylene glycol, agarose, or sucrose. The latter can also be used as a matrix for storage.