Silver Nanowires

Silver Nanowires are nanoscale wires with various applications including optical coatings, touch sensors, electronics, liquid crystals, and transparent thin films. Silver nanowires are generally immediately available in most volumes. Nano Research Elements produces to many standard grades when applicable, including Mil Spec (military grade); ACS, Reagent and Technical Grade; Food, Agricultural and Pharmaceutical Grade;

For several decades, silver has been used for its proven antibacterial activity and low toxicity to human cells, with successful applications in burn prophylaxis and water disinfection. With the increasing presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the development of nanoscale technology, scientific attention has focused on silver nanospecies, due to their unique electrical, optical, chemical and physical properties and of their potential in a variety of applications. Toothpastes to electrodes. including possible future biomedical applications. Among the silver nanospecies, Ag nanowires (AgNW) are currently attracting great research interest. Due to their one-dimensional structure, they have a higher aspect ratio than other silver nanospecies and therefore very different physico-chemical properties. This review will examine the different synthetic methods used to generate Ag nanowires of different lengths and diameters; address proposed mechanisms on how Ag nanowires cause potent biocidal effects and how their toxic potential is mitigated compared to other silver species; and finally provides an updated overview of Nanowire Ag-based applications in biomedicine. The potential for using Ag nanowires in biomedical applications is still little explored. Recently, however, researchers have begun to demonstrate promising applications of silver nanowires for tissues, surface coatings, and drug delivery, opening the possibility for other uses, such as diagnostics and tissue regeneration.