| abstract |
An embodiment of the present disclosure is a method of forming a substrate. The method includes applying an aqueous solution of a nanoparticle precursor to a collection of fibers, the nanoparticle precursor including a metal salt and a reducing agent. The method also includes drying the fiber assembly using the thermal energy during continuous operation to form a substrate, whereby drying produces metal nanoparticles in the substrate. The metal nanoparticles have a size that ranges from 1 to about 200 nanometers in at least one dimension. [Selection figure] None |