A process for making silver nanostructures, which includes the step of reacting at least one polyol and at least one silver compound that is capable of producing silver metal when reduced, in the presence of: (a) a source of chloride or bromide ions, and (b) at least one copolymer that comprises: (i) one or more first constitutional repeating units that each independently comprise at least one pendant saturated or unsaturated, five-, six-, or seven-membered, acylamino- or diacylamino-containing heterocylic ring moiety per constitutional repeating unit, and (ii) one or more second constitutional repeating units, each of which independently differs from the one or more first nonionic constitutional repeating units, and has a molecular weight of greater than or equal to about 500 grams per mole, is described herein.