Nanosized uniform silver powders and colloidal dispersions of silver were prepared from AgNO3 by a chemical reduction method involving the intermediate preparation of Ag2O colloidal dispersion in the presence of sodium dodecyle sulfate CH3(CH2)(11)OSO3Na as a surfactant. Several reducing agents such as hydrazine hydrate (N2H4.H2O), formaldehyde (HCOH) and glucose (C6H10O5) have been found to be preferable in this study from a practical point of view. The silver powder with the 60-120 nm particle size and colloidal dispersion with the particles size 10-20 nm and 0.5-2.0 wt.% concentration were successfully synthesized. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.