TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further comprises: after forming the metal nanoparticles, quenching the reducing agent with a terminating agent that is reactive with it; arresting the formation of the metal nanoparticles by performing an action consisting of adding a terminating agent to the reaction mixture, cooling the reaction mixture to -10?C or below and/or centrifuging the reaction mixture; and isolating the metal nanoparticles from the reaction mixture. The reaction takes place at 0-50 degrees C. The insoluble complex is formed at a temperature of at most 85 degrees C. The first surfactant and the second surfactant can be dissociated from the copper nanoparticles by heating. Preferred Components: The insoluble complex comprises a coordination compound of the metal salt with at least one of the first surfactant, second surfactant, and third surfactant. The reaction mixture is substantially oxygen free. The terminating agent is aldehyde, a nitrile, an organic acid and/or water. The reaction mixture further comprises an organic solvent, which comprises diglyme or triglyme. The reducing agent comprises sodium borohydride. The metal nanoparticles are 3-6 nm in size. The reaction mixture comprises 1 part of the first surfactant, 2 parts of the second surfactant, and 1 part of the third surfactant. The copper salt is a copper halide, copper nitrate, copper acetate, copper sulfate, copper formate and/or copper oxide. The insoluble complex is uniformly distributed in the reaction mixture. The reaction mixture has a water content of less than or equal to 200 ppm.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The primary amine comprises a 4-18C primary alkylamine. The primary alkylamine comprises a branched alkyl group bound to its nitrogen atom. The branching occurs on the carbon atom bound to the nitrogen atom. The secondary amine comprises branched or cyclic 4-12C alkyl bound to its nitrogen atom. The diamine comprises a secondary diamine or a tertiary diamine comprising 1-6C alkyl bound to its nitrogen atoms. The secondary diamine or the tertiary diamine comprises branched or cyclic 3-6C alkyl bound to its nitrogen atoms. EXAMPLE - Dry triglyme (200 ml) was placed into a 3 neck round bottom flask (500 ml). Anhydrous copper (II) chloride (3.9 g) was added, and the mixture was stirred vigorously for 1 -2 hours. Sparging with argon was conducted for 10 minutes while heating to 42 degrees C. A plastic syringe and a stainless steel needle was used to add the following surfactants in the order given under positive argon pressure: tert-octylamine (12 ml), diisopropylamine (20 ml), and N,N'-di-tert-butylethylenediamine (15 ml). The latter surfactant was diluted with degassed dry triglyme (15 ml). The color of the solution turned dark blue after addition of the second surfactant. Stirring was continued for 15-30 minutes at 42 degrees C before addition of the third surfactant. Upon addition of the third surfactant, the reaction mixture turned cloudy and assumed a pistachio color. Then the temperature was reduced to 38-40 degrees C. A round bottom flask (50 ml) was charged with dry 2M sodium borohydride solution (32-35 ml). This solution was then rapidly transferred via cannula, syringe or addition funnel to the first solution. The pistachio reaction mixture started turning white within 1-2 minutes. Subsequently, the reaction kept changing color from white, to yellow-brown, to dark brown and finally black at 3-4 minutes. At this point, a chemical quenching agent (e.g. acetaldehyde, 4-10 ml) was added to decompose unreacted reducing agent. Immediately the reaction mixture was cooled to below -10 degrees C in a dry ice/acetone bath for 10-30 minutes. The reaction mixture was centrifuged at 2500-3100 rpm for 5-10 minutes, which resulted in a black precipitate and a clear supernatant. Centrifugation was repeated if settling was incomplete. The solid was washed with water, optionally containing ammonia, and subsequently centrifuged up to three times. Then the washes were checked for chloride content using silver nitrate. The copper nanoparticles were then stored in a sealed syringe or a glass vial under argon.