Nitrite-Mediated Synthesis of Ultrathin Ag Nanoplates for Flexible Electrode Fabrication

Ag nanoplates hold great promise in flexible electronics, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and sensing due to their unique physicochemical properties and 2D structural benefits. Thickness plays a crucial role in their optical performance, flexibility, and sintering behavior. However, the controlled synthesis of ultrathin Ag nanoplates remains difficult because traditional methods lack mechanisms to effectively limit growth along the thickness, often resulting in thicker nanoplates. In this work, we introduce a new nitrite-mediated seeded growth technique for the precise synthesis of ultrathin Ag nanoplates. The nitrite prevents self-nucleation, enables high selectivity for Ag{111} facets, and restricts crystal growth along the thickness. The resulting Ag nanoplates have a thickness of ∼2 nm, high purity, and tunable sizes. Notably, their ultrathin structure facilitates low-temperature welding of Ag nanowires, reducing resistance in conductive networks. This method provides a versatile way to produce high-quality, ultrathin 2D metal nanocrystals and opens new avenues for advanced materials in flexible optoelectronics and wearable devices.