Metal-displacement-derived silver nanoparticles for visible-light catalysis and TENG-enabled circuit integration

One of the main challenges in silver nanoparticle research is developing a quick, scalable, and environmentally friendly synthesis method that also produces stable particles suitable for various applications. To address this challenge, we propose an eco-friendly, simple and efficient approach using the metal-displacement process that enables room-temperature formation of uniformly dispersed and oxidation-resistant Ag NPs (25–50 nm). In this method, magnesium (Mg) acts as a sacrificial reductant, while tartaric acid serves as both a reducing agent and a capping agent. This novel magnesium-tartrate dual agent enables quick nucleation growth at room temperature, avoiding harsh chemicals, and yields uniformly dispersed Ag NPs with strong oxidation resistance. The synthesised Ag NPs were characterised for structural, optical, and surface analyses, confirming the formation of pure metallic Ag0 NPs with high stability due to tartarate chelation. These Ag NPs exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity, degrading 91.6% of Acid Yellow and 89.4% of Rose Bengal within 180 min under visible light, following first-order kinetics. Furthermore, the Ag NPs were formulated into a conductive ink capable of producing low-resistance printed tracks. The output of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was directly delivered to LEDs via these Ag-ink-printed pathways, enabling self-powered illumination of 240 LEDs. Overall, the present work provides a robust, scalable solution for multifunctional Ag NPs suitable for environmental remediation and next-generation printed electronics.