Seed-mediated synthesis and structural analysis of hierarchical silver microparticles (HiAgMPs) with highly nanotextured surfaces

• Hierarchical silver microparticles (HiAgMPs) were synthesized by the seed-mediated method using silver nanoplates as seeds.
• The growth of HiAgMPs under various synthetic conditions was analyzed by time-dependent scanning electron microscopy.
• The internal structure of HiAgMPs was thoroughly investigated by direct electron microscopic observation and N2 isotherm.

We developed a novel method to synthesize hierarchical silver microparticles (HiAgMPs) with highly nanotextured surfaces based on the seed-mediated synthesis by using silver nanoplates as seeds. The synthetic conditions for the resultant HiAgMPs were intensively investigated with various types and concentrations of nanoparticle seeds at different Ag+ concentrations. The growth mechanism of the HiAgMPs was studied by monitoring the morphological evolution at different growth phases. Importantly, we, for the first time, analyzed the internal structure of the HiAgMPs, which are composed of a packed core surrounded by a grooved shell. The catalytic properties of the HiAgMPs were investigated and determined to be highly active for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

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