Abstract
Polyol synthesis generally refers the reduction of metal ions towards metal nanoparticles in a polyol solvent which can act as both reducing and stabilizing agents; in some cases, an additional reducing agent can be applicable. In the present work, variation in polyol levels (ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and glycerol) provided the insights into the characteristics of zero-valent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and the stability of corresponding colloidal solutions. The formation of CuNPs was monitored by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), based on the tune of reaction parameters (time, temperature, initial copper concentration, molar ratio of Cu/reductant) and nature of reactants (copper precursor, reductant, solvent). Mono-disperse CuNPs were highly stable in glycerol with no sign of aggregation until 15 d, proving the feasibility of the cost-effective and eco-friendly protocol for large-scale CuNPs production and promising their biomedicine applications thanks to the use of non-toxic reagents.
