Patent ID: 8721762

Claim:
A process for synthesizing a metal powder consisting essentially of the steps: heating a metal complex in a reactor to a temperature below 700° C.; the metal complex being one selected from the group consisting of a metal citrate, a metal oxalate, a metal carbazide, a metal glycine, and a metal hydroxide; contacting the metal complex with hydrogen gas causing an exothermic reaction; and maintaining the temperature in the reactor at a controlled temperature below 700° C. during the exothermic reaction to limit the temperature rise in the reactor caused by the exothermic reaction in order to allow the hydrogen gas to contact the metal complex at the controlled temperature for a sufficient period of time to form substantially pure metal particles and to minimize the agglomeration of the metallic particles produced by the reaction; the metal particles having a purity greater than 99% with a surface that is not passivated; wherein the metal powder comprises nanoparticles.