Glycerol mediated synthesis of silver nanowires for room temperature ammonia vapor sensing

•One pot rapid synthesis of silver nanowires.•Glycerol mediated polyol process for silver nanowires.•Purification and dispersion of silver nanowires.•Ammonia vapor sensing properties of nanowires using fiber optic sensors.

Silver nanowires were synthesized by glycerol mediated process with the assistance of polyvinyl pyrrolidone. The grown nanowires have preferential orientation of [1 1 1]. Purified silver nanowires showed the absorptions at 400 and 352 nm in UV–vis-NIR spectrum. The average width and length of the purified silver nanowires were measured as 60 nm and 7 μm, respectively, using the scanning electron microscopy. The ammonia vapor sensitivity of the dispersed silver nanowires coated on cladding removed polymethyl methacrylate fiber was calculated to be 0.17 counts/ppm at room temperature. The response and recovery times were found to be 70 and 80 min, respectively, for 500 ppm ammonia vapor concentration in the absence of carrier gas.