Аннотация:Mass spectrometry with matrix/surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization has been employed to confirm the formation of nanoparticles as a result of the synthesis in water/AOT/isooctane reverse micellar solutions. Mass spectra have been obtained for Agn, as well as Agn⋅Na+ and Agn⋅Na⋅H+ adducts, where n = 1–20. Size-exclusion chromatography has been used to perform a year-long study of the size characteristics of silver nanoparticles. It has been found that silver nanoparticles synthesized in reverse micellar solutions are mainly represented by two fractions. The particles of one fraction have sizes of 1–6 nm, which can remain almost unchanged when being stored for a long time. The formation of the coarse fraction with particle sizes of 15–32 nm is a reversible process, during which particle sizes vary within a range of ±10 nm. The obtained data have led to an assumption that reverse micellar solutions with degrees of hydration up to 20 are stable systems, other synthesis conditions being equal, while the particles of the coarse fraction are aggregates of the fine-fraction particles, which retain their stabilizing shells of AOT molecules upon aggregation.