Preparation of Silver Nanofluids with High Electrical Conductivity

Abstract

Silver nanofluids have been prepared by single-step chemical reduction method starting with silver nitrate metal precursor. Electrical conductivity of nanofluids has been investigated, as it has largely been overlooked despite immense technological importance. Extremely low yield nanofluid (0.013 wt%) is found to give high electrical conductivity attributed to smaller size monodisperse nanoparticles obtained (16.3 nm). Increased precursor concentration has lead to high yield and high electrical conductivity. Larger particle sizes obtained are optimized by reducing the yield at high concentration, as well as by dilution. The stability is exceptionally higher than the reported results for copper nanofluids.