On the Chemical Processes Accompanying Silver Reduction from Solutions of Its Salts in Organic Media

Abstract

Silver reduction from its nitrate has been studied in the media of DGEBA-based and aliphatic epoxy resins. It has been found that, under the experimental conditions that were employed, silver ions can be reduced without chemical interaction with the medium only due to photochemical processes. The reduction rate is determined by the rate of dissolution of the initial silver salt in an organic medium and the possibility of the formation of solvates by the system components. Refractometry has been proposed for use in monitoring the kinetics of silver nitrate dissolution in epoxy resins and the formation of silver nanoparticles. Stable dispersions of silver nanoparticles in epoxy resins have been obtained.