Formation kinetics of silver nanoparticles in reverse micelles. 1. Integral models and the relation between their parameters and microlevel processes

A method has been proposed for analysis of the evolution of optical absorption spectra measured during the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in reverse micelles. The Volterra “predator-prey” kinetic model has been employed as a basic one. The limiting solutions of this model have been found to be represented by controlled-growth curves (logistic and Gompertz models), parameters of which are determined by characteristics of microlevel processes. It has been shown that there are macrolevel-related physically interpreted parameters of the synthesis process. The tests of the models for the stability with respect to a phase shift (relaxation) have shown its interrelation with the parameters of the controlled-growth model. A correlation has been shown between the space-time characteristics (time and wavelength) of the system. The moments of the passages from one to another stage of the synthesis reaction have been determined.