Hosted by Dr. Mikhail Kovalev Founder and Director of Product Development at Accelerated Materials. An accomplished inventor with over 25 patents to his name, Mikhail brings deep technical knowledge and visionary insight into materials development, particularly in the electronics and coatings industries. At AM, he helps researchers and engineers bring their new material ideas to life through scalable innovation. 

In this webinar, he covers: 

• A comprehensive overview of silver nanoparticle (Ag-NP) applications, including sensing technologies and printed electronics 

• Performance and quality requirements of Ag-NPs for various industrial and research applications 

• Flow chemistry approach for Ag-NP synthesis and its comparison to batch systems 

• Synthesis of Ag-NPs using the K1 reactor, tailored for sensors and conductive pastes  

• A techno-economic analysis of scalable Ag-NP production: cost drivers, process efficiencies, and commercial outlook 

Whether you’re developing next-gen sensors, working on printed electronics, or exploring scalable nanomaterials, this webinar will provide both technical depth and commercial insight. 

How to synthesize silver nanoparticles? 

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are synthesized through chemical reduction of silver salts, typically silver nitrate (AgNO₃), using various reducing agents: 

Common Synthesis Methods: 

Chemical Reduction: The most widely used approach involves: 

• Dissolving silver nitrate in water or organic solvents 

• Adding a reducing agent (sodium borohydride, ascorbic acid, citrate, or glucose) 

• Controlling pH, temperature, and reagent concentrations 

• Using stabilizing agents (PVP, citrate, or surfactants) to prevent aggregation 

Green Synthesis: Environmentally friendly methods using: 

• Plant extracts containing natural reducing compounds 

• Biological organisms (bacteria, fungi, or algae) 

• Natural polymers as both reducing and stabilizing agents 

Critical Parameters for Quality: 

• Size control: Achieved by adjusting reagent ratios, temperature, and reduction kinetics 

• Morphology: Spherical, cubic, triangular, or rod-shaped particles obtained by controlling growth conditions 

• Surface properties: Stabilizing agents determine dispersion stability and functionality 

• Purity: Removing unreacted reagents and byproducts is essential for most applications 

Manufacturing Considerations: Traditional batch synthesis of silver nanoparticles faces challenges with: 

• Inconsistent particle size distributions 

• Poor reproducibility between batches 

• Aggregation during scale-up 

• Limited control over particle morphology 

Advanced continuous flow reactors address these limitations by maintaining uniform reaction conditions, enabling production of high-quality silver nanoparticles with consistent properties from laboratory to manufacturing scale. The precise control over mixing, temperature, and residence time in flow systems produces AgNPs with narrow size distributions and reproducible performance characteristics.