Silver Nanorods (AgNRs)

Synthesis Methods

Seed-Mediated Growth Method: Uses silver seeds in a controlled growth environment with surfactants like 

cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to direct rod formation.

Electrochemical Deposition: Silver nanorods are grown on conductive substrates using templated electrodeposition techniques.

Photochemical Reduction: UV or visible light is used to control the nucleation and anisotropic growth of nanorods.

Polyol Method: Uses ethylene glycol as both the reducing agent and solvent, often combined with polyvinylpyrrolidone 

(PVP) for shape control.

Applications and Uses

1.Optoelectronic Applications

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Sensors: Due to their anisotropic shape, silver nanorods exhibit strong and tunable plasmonic 

properties, making them ideal for biosensors and environmental monitoring.

Metamaterials: Used in plasmonic metamaterials to manipulate light beyond the diffraction limit, enhancing applications in 

optics and telecommunications.

Transparent Conductive Films: Silver nanorods form highly conductive, flexible thin films for touchscreens, OLEDs, and photovoltaic devices.

2.Biomedical and Therapeutic Applications

Photothermal Therapy (PTT): Silver nanorods efficiently absorb near-infrared (NIR) light, converting it into localized heat to target cancer cells.

Biosensing and Diagnostics: Employed in label-free detection of biomolecules using localized SPR techniques.

Antimicrobial Coatings: Like silver nanoparticles, silver nanorods exhibit strong antibacterial effects and are used in medical textiles,

wound dressings, and implants.

3.Catalysis and Environmental Applications

Catalysis for Chemical Reactions: Silver nanorods enhance catalytic reactions in organic transformations and pollutant degradation.

Water Purification: Incorporated into filtration membranes for antimicrobial and photocatalytic degradation of contaminants.

4.Thermal and Electrical Applications

Thermal Management: High thermal conductivity enables applications in heat dissipation materials for electronics and LED cooling.

Highly Conductive Inks: Silver nanorod-based inks are used in printed circuit boards (PCBs), RFID antennas, and flexible electronics.

5.Energy Storage and Conversion

Electrodes for Batteries and Supercapacitors: Silver nanorods improve charge transfer and efficiency in lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors.

Plasmonic Enhancement in Solar Cells: Utilized in light-trapping strategies to enhance the efficiency of thin-film and perovskite solar cells.

Technical Properties

Chemical Formula: Ag

Shape: Rod-like nanostructures with high aspect ratios (length-to-diameter ratio)

Density: 10.49 g/cm³

Melting Point: ~961.8°C

Electrical Conductivity: ~63 × 10⁶ S/m (high electrical conductivity)

Thermal Conductivity: ~429 W/m·K (excellent heat transfer properties)

Optical Properties: Strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR), tunable from visible to near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths

Stability: More resistant to oxidation compared to silver nanoparticles due to anisotropic shape