Patent ID: 8361553

Claim:
A method of adhering metal nanoparticles to an elastomeric surface, comprising, forming silver nanoparticles in situ on an elastomeric surface, by a method comprising, a) mixing an aqueous solution of a stabilizing agent, wherein the stabilizing agent is a polymer, a surfactant, or both; sodium saccharinate; and a soluble silver salt, wherein the soluble silver salt is silver nitrate, and further wherein there is a molar excess of sodium saccharinate to silver nitrate, wherein the ratio of the sodium saccharinate to silver nitrate is between 1 and 5; b) immersing an elastomeric surface in the solution of step a); and c) adding to the solution in which the elastomeric surface is immersed a reducing agent to form silver nanoparticles in situ on the elastomeric surface.