N,N-Dimethylformamide as a Reaction Medium for Metal Nanoparticle Synthesis

The versatility of wet chemical methods has rendered them extremely popular for the preparation of metal nanoparticles with tailored size and shape. This Feature Article reviews the use of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) for the reduction of metal salts, mainly Au and Ag, while also acting as a solvent. Apart from describing the ability of DMF to reduce metal salts, the effect of different parameters, such as the concentration of capping agent and metal precursors, the presence of preformed seeds acting as catalysts or their crystalline structure, on particle morphology are analyzed. Published reports on the use of different capping agents are summarized, with particular emphasis on the role of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) to determine the morphology of the particles. Finally, a brief overview is provided on the modulation of the optical response in DMF-based metal nanoparticle colloids with tunable size and shape.