A Rapid Prototyping Approach to Ag Nanoparticle Fabrication in the 10–100 nm Range

A simple, inexpensive, and rapid method for making metal nanoparticles ranging in size between 10 and 100 nm is demonstrated. The process can be completed in approximately 11 min by making a thin supported TiO2 film on glass for use as a photocatalyst and employing an alumina membrane as a template (see figure). The nanoparticle array formed on the TiO2 surface is nearly monodisperse and the particle surface density is uniform over large areas.