Abstract
A process window for the synthesis of Ag wires through the polyol process was established, in which long and uniform size of silver wires is obtained. The formation of decahedral seeds (leading to the formation of wires) is in competition with ordinary seeds (becoming spherical colloids) and heterogeneous nucleation and deposition on vessel walls. All of the various processes are in turn influenced by the supply rate of silver from reduction reactions. Adding silver nuclei before the reduction reaction could effectively decrease the wire diameter. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.