Nanofluids, consisting of nanometric particles suspended in a base fluid, have become a new alternative for improving heat management technology. Silver, which is known to exhibit pretty high electrical and thermal conductivity among metals, has been selected for this research. At present, we are focused on the study of the size- and shape-controlled synthesis conditions of silver nanocrystals in polyol media. Control of crystal size and shape at the nanoscale were achieved by suitable selection of the synthesis conditions and the presence of habit-controlling agents like chloride ions. Silver nanostructures (faceted crystals, wires, rods) were remarkable monodisperse in size and their dimension could be controlled in the 30-50nm range (particles) and 24-127nm in thickness for rods or wires. © 2011 Materials Research Society.