Abstract

• This paper focused on the preparation of copper (Cu) nanoparticles from copper (II) Nitrate as metal precursor. Sodium borohydride was used as a reducing agent and polyethylene glycol and ascorbic acid were used as stabilizer. The copper particles formed were identified by UV-Vis, XRD and SEM. Small spherical copper nanoparticles and the good dispersion of nanoparticles are observed from the samples. From XRD pattern, the average crystallize size of Cu nanoparticles is 38 nm as each particle observed from SEM is not a single crystallite of Cu but the agglomerates of many single crystallites. The aggregation of nanoparticles caused the inhomogeneous size distribution. Well-dispersed stable copper based conductive ink was prepared in which the copper nanoparticles possess a excellent dispersive, monodispersed size distribution and strong anti-oxidation. From UV analysis, the absorption band in visible light region (350 nm-700 nm, plasmon peak at 588 nm).