Single crystal silver nanowires prepared by the metal amplification method

We present a method of fabricating single crystal silver nanowires based on the electroless deposition of silver into the pores of the polycarbonate membranes by the metal amplification process. A gold film on one side of the nanoporous membrane is used as the initiation layer for the silver crystal growth, while the pores of the membrane are used for guiding the growth of the silver crystal into a cylindrical nanostructure. Optical microscopy and spectroscopy of individual nanowires, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and TEM diffraction crystallography were used to characterize the silver nanostructures. The metal amplification technique presents an electroless, simple, and inexpensive solution to the challenge of fabricating silver nanowires for electronic, optical, and biological applications. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.