Electrosynthesis-recrystallization method for preparing silver acetate: Application in silver metal-organic decomposition ink

Silver metal-organic decomposition ink (Ag MODI) is a new class of “particle-free” conductive inks that employ Ag organic compounds (OCs) as functional fillers, circumventing the time-consuming and costly preparation processes inherent to conventional Ag-nanoparticle (NP) fillers. Nevertheless, research on short-process, eco-friendly routes for synthesizing Ag OCs remains limited. This study reports an electrosynthesis-recrystallization (ES-R) method for preparing silver acetate (AgOAc) directly from metallic Ag. It eliminates the nitrate contamination inherent in conventional Ag OCs syntheses, generates hydrogen gas (H2) as the sole by-product, and enables closed-loop recycling of the sodium acetate (NaOAc) electrolyte. Moreover, this method effectively streamlines the process chain from metallic Ag to Ag MODI, the as-prepared AgOAc can be used directly as the feedstock for Ag MODI application. Through the method reported herein, the advantages of Ag MODI are effectively amplified, promising to accelerate their substitution for conventional Ag-NP-based inks.