Formation of silver bromide precipitate of nanoparticles in a single microemulsion utilizing the surfactant counterion

Silver bromide precipitate of nanoparticles was prepared by addition of silver nitrate aqueous solution to a single microemulsion system consisting of dioctyldimethylammonium bromide, n-decanol, and water in isooctane. The silver ion reacted readily with the surfactant counterion, bromide, to form the precipitate of nanoparticles, which was stabilized in the water pools. The use of the surfactant counterion as a reactant is a new approach to nanoparticle preparation in microemulsions. It is characterized by high reactivity and less dependency on the intermicellar exchange of solubilizate. The effects of the surfactant and the cosurfactant concentrations, the amount of silver nitrate, and the water to surfactant mole ratio, R, were evaluated. Increasing the surfactant concentration at fixed R and amount of silver nitrate enhanced the role of intermicellar nucleation and resulted in the formation of larger particles, while increasing the amount of silver nitrate at fixed values of all the other variables enhanced the direct nucleation and resulted in the formation of smaller particles. Particle aggregation and flocculation took place when the concentration of n-decanol or the value of R was increased. Particle aggregation and flocculation were attributed to the decrease in the interaction between the surfactant protective layer and the nanoparticles in the water pools.