Fine-tuning size of gold nanoparticles by cooling during reverse micelle synthesis

By lowering the reaction temperature during metal ion reduction in a reverse micelle system, gold nanoparticle size can be subtly tuned from 6.6 to 2.2 nm in diameter. Under these reaction conditions, the water-to-surfactant ratio (W value) also plays an important role in controlling the particle size, enabling a wide range of products obtainable via a simple, quick, reproducible synthesis. Particle sizes were measured by HRTEM, and size trends were supported by UV-vis spectroscopy.     

Reverse micelle synthesis of rhodium nanoparticles

Water-in-oil reverse micelles of butyl ammonium laurate in hexanes that contain sodium hexachlororhodate were reduced with sodium borohydride to yield rhodium nanoparticles. The size of the micelle, determined by dynamic light scattering, was from 3 to 20 nm and varied as the water to surfactant ratio (W) was changed. The rhodium nanoparticles exhibited a Gaussian size distribution (sigma=0.35 nm), with average diameters of 1.5, 2.2, and 2.9 nm. The products were characterized with TEM, HRTEM, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy.     

Polymer size and concentration effects on the size of gold nanoparticles capped by polymeric thiols

Gold nanoparticles stabilized by thiol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ethers with molecular weights ranging from 350 to 2000 have been prepared at thiol-to-gold molar ratios ranging from 3:1 to 1:8. Particle size distributions have been constructed for these particles from transmission electron microscopy images of hundreds of particles for each variation in synthetic conditions. The mean diameters of these particles range from 1.5 to 3.2 nm, with a slight increase in particle size with decreasing thiol content; these particles are smaller than those prepared using alkanethiols at similar thiol-to-gold ratios. Particles prepared under thiol-poor conditions exhibit much greater polydispersity than those prepared under thiol-rich conditions and include numerically rare large-particle outliers that contain much of the gold in the sample. The mean diameters of the gold nanoparticles decrease slightly with increasing polymer weight, especially under thiol-rich conditions. A simple model is developed to predict the trends in nanoparticle diameter that would result were the polymer's steric bulk protecting the nanoparticles from additional growth the principal factor controlling nanoparticle size in this system. This model predicts a much stronger dependence on thiol concentration than has been experimentally observed and a dependence on polymer molecular weight opposite to that experimentally observed. This suggests that the polymers' steric bulk is not the principal reason that these polymers yield smaller nanoparticles than alkanethiols at similar thiol-to-gold ratios. It is instead proposed that polar polymers may yield small nanoparticles by accelerating particle nucleation via coordination between functional groups in the polymer and atomic gold.     

Influence of surfactant structure on reverse micelle size and charge for nonpolar electrophoretic inks

Electrophoretic inks, which are suspensions of colorant particles that are controllably concentrated and dispersed by applied electric fields, are the leading commercial technology for high-quality reflective displays. Extending the state of the art for high-fidelity color in these displays requires improved understanding and control of the colloidal systems. In these inks, reverse micelles in nonpolar media play key roles in media and particle charging. Here we investigate the effect of surfactant structure on reverse micelle size and charging properties by synthesizing different surfactants with variations in polyamine polar head groups. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to determine the micelle core plus shell size and micelle hydrodynamic radius, respectively. The results from SAXS agreed with DLS and showed that increasing polyamines in the surfactant head increased the micelle size. The hydrodynamic radius was also calculated on the basis of transient current measurements and agreed well with the DLS results. The transient current technique further determined that increasing polyamines increased the charge stabilization capability of the micelles and that an analogous commercial surfactant OLOA 11000 made for a lower concentration of charge-generating ions in solution. Formulating magenta inks with the various surfactants showed that the absence of amine in the surfactant head was detrimental to particle stabilization and device performance.     

In-situ synthesis of nanoparticles via supersolubilizing micelle self-assembly

In-situ synthesis of nano-particles using the self-assembly of molten salt and super soluble micellae was proposed based on a phenomenon of super solubilization of molten salt in reverse micellae and its self-assembly when the concentration reached up to 95%(w/w).The mechanism of the self-assembly indicates that the self-assembly of molten salt occurs in a reverse micelle where a homogenous phase is established between 5%(w/w)of a surfactant with a VB value of less than 1 and a hydrocarbon spe- cies.This synthesis has some unique features,such as being free of water,highly effective deposition and narrow distribution of particle size.     

Ionic liquids as modulators of the critical micelle concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate

Critical micelle concentration (CMC) of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an anionic surfactant, has been investigated in aqueous solutions of a variety of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs): 1,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide (Me2IM-I, 2), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIM-Cl, 3), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (HxMIM-Cl, 4), 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride (MOIM-Cl), 5, and 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (MOIM-BF4, 6). The CMC of SDS is shown to correlate with the nature of the alkyl groups in the RTILs; SDS showed appreciably higher CMCs in presence of ionic liquids 2 and 3, whereas in the presence of ionic liquids 4, 5, and 6 much smaller CMCs were observed. The nature of the gigenions, Cl- or BF4-, has no noticeable effect on the observed CMC values.     

A theory of the salt effects on the critical micelle concentration

Summary The previously proposed theory on the critical micelle concentration is extended and revised, considering the effects of coexisting small ions. Using the theory of the adsorption equilibrium instead of that of the flat electrical double layer, we obtain an equation for the salt effect on the c. m. c., which is of somewhat different form from the usual experimental formula. It is pointed out that the activities of ions should be used instead of the stoichiometric concentrations. Comparisons are made with available experimental works and the agreement is shown to be good.

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Zusammenfassung Die früher ver?ffentlichte Theorie (1) über die kritische Mizellkonzentration wurde erweitert und verbessert, indem wir die Wirkung der gleichzeitig anwesenden Ionen in Betracht zogen. Um den Effekt der Salze auf die kritische Mizellkonzentration zu untersuchen, benutzen wir die Theorie des Adsorptionsgleichgewichtes anstatt der Theorie der ebenen elektrischen Doppelschicht, und unsere Theorie führte zu einer von den üblichen experimentellen Formeln etwas verschiedenen Gleichung. Es wurde gezeigt, da? die Aktivit?t der Ionen anstatt der st?chiometrischen Konzentration gebraucht werden mu?. Unsere Theorie steht in guter übereinstimmung mit existierenden experimentellen Resultaten.

     

Ionic liquid-assisted direct synthesis of PdO nanoparticles immobilized on boehmite nanoparticles

We demonstrated a simple route to simultaneously synthesize PdO and boehmite nanoparticles, and to directly immobilize the former on the latter using an ionic liquid (IL)-assisted one-pot solution method. PdO nanoparticles were directly immobilized on boehmite nanoparticles, and their amount and distribution were controlled by the stoichiometry of the mixture. In particular, γ-alumina nanofibers, which were topochemically transformed from boehmites, exhibited lengths of ca. 40-70 nm and diameters of ca. 1.5-3 nm, while PdO nanoparticles had diameters of ca. 2-4 nm. The nanocrystalline structures of the PdO nanoparticles immobilized on the boehmite nanoparticles were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and (27)Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The one-step synthetic method described herein allows for the design and fabrication of host-guest systems of inorganic or metallic nanomaterials with hetero-nanostructures.     

The effects of ionization on micelle size of dimethyldodecylamine oxide

Light scattering from aqueous NaCl solutions of dimethyldodecylamine oxide has been measured at different degrees of neutralization adjusted by addition of HCl, and molecular weights of differently charged micelles are determined from the Debye plot. In the absence of added salt, the micelle molecular weight decreases with increasing ionization, indicating the electrostatic effect in micelle formation. In the presence of NaCI above 0.01 M, however, the largest micelle is formed at half-ionization, and its size steeply increases with increasing NaCI concentration. In 0.20 M NaCl the large micelle is composed of about 300 ionized and 300 nonionic molecules, and it grows further with increasing surfactant concentration.     

Transition metal-chelating surfactant micelle templates for facile synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Highly ordered mesoporous silica nanoparticles with tunable morphology and pore-size are prepared by the use of a transition metal-chelating surfactant micelle complex using Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Zn²⁺ ions. These metal ions formed a metal-P123 micelle complex in an aqueous solution, while the metal ions are chelated to the hydrophilic domain such as the poly(ethylene oxide) group of a P123 surfactant. The different complexation abilities of the utilized transition metal ions play an important role in determining the formation of nano-sized ordered MSNs due to the different stabilization constant of the metal-P123 complex. Consequently, from a particle length of 1700 nm in the original mesoporous silica materials, the particle length of ordered MSNs through the metal-chelating P123 micelle templates can be reduced to a range of 180–800 nm. Furthermore, the variation of pore size shows a slight change from 8.8 to 6.6 nm. In particular, the Cu²⁺-chelated MSNs show only decreased particle size to 180 nm. The stability constants for the metal-P123 complex are calculated on the basis of molar conductance measurements in order to elucidate the formation mechanism of MSNs by the metal-chelating P123 complex templates. In addition, solid-state ²⁹Si, ¹³C-NMR and ICP-OES measurements are used for quantitative characterization reveal that the utilized metal ions affect only the formation of a metal-P123 complex in a micelle as a template.     

Ionic liquids as recycling solvents for the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles

This work describes an easy synthesis (one pot) of MFe(2)O(4) (M = Co, Fe, Mn, and Ni) magnetic nanoparticles MNPs by the thermal decomposition of Fe(Acac)(3)/M(Acac)(2) by using BMI·NTf(2) (1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) or BMI·PF(6) (1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) ionic liquids (ILs) as recycling solvents and oleylamine as the reducing and surface modifier agent. The effects of reaction temperature and reaction time on the features of the magnetic nanomaterials (size and magnetic properties) were investigated. The growth of the MNPs is easily controlled in the IL by adjusting the reaction temperature and time, as inferred from Fe(3)O(4) MNPs obtained at 150 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C with mean diameters of 8, 10 and 15 nm, respectively. However, the thermal decomposition of Fe(Acac)(3) performed in a conventional high boiling point solvent (diphenyl ether, bp 259 °C), under a similar Fe to oleylamine molar ratio used in the IL synthesis, does not follow the same growth mechanism and rendered only smaller NPs of 5 nm mean diameter. All MNPs are covered by at least one monolayer of oleylamine making them readily dispersible in non-polar solvents. Besides the influence on the nanoparticles growth, which is important for the preparation of highly crystalline MNPs, the IL was easily recycled and has been used in at least 20 successive syntheses.     

In-situ synthesis of nanoparticles via supersolubilizing micelle self-assembly

In-situ synthesis of nano-particles using the self-assembly of molten salt and super soluble micellae was proposed based on a phenomenon of super solubilization of molten salt in reverse micellae and its self-assembly when the concentration reached up to 95% (w/w). The mechanism of the self-assembly indicates that the self-assembly of molten salt occurs in a reverse micelle where a homogenous phase is established between 5% (w/w) of a surfactant with a VB value of less than 1 and a hydrocarbon species. This synthesis has some unique features, such as being free of water, highly effective deposition and narrow distribution of particle size.     

Ionic liquids for the convenient synthesis of functional nanoparticles and other inorganic nanostructures

Ionic liquids are a new class of organic solvents with high polarity and a preorganized solvent structure. Very polar reactions can be carried out in these liquid in the absence of or with a controlled amount of water, and crystalline nanoparticles can be synthesized conveniently at ambient temperatures. The pronounced self-organization of the solvent is used in the synthesis of self-assembled, highly organized hybrid nanostructures with unparalleled quality. The extraordinary potential of ionic liquids in materials synthesis is described in this minireview and a physicochemical explanation is given.     

Colloidal synthesis of pt nanoparticles: on the formation and stability of nanowires

Catalytic properties of Pt nanoparticles can significantly depend on the crystallite shape, which renders shape control an important aim in the chemical synthesis. Starting from a colloidal synthesis of quasispherical Pt nanocrystals capped with dodecylamine ligands, systematic variations of different synthesis parameters were performed in the present work in order to obtain Pt nanowires. Mechanistic investigations revealed that nanowires can form by aggregation of quasispherical particles. The process of wire formation was found to be influenced by parameters such as the concentration of the stabilizing ligands on the particle surface. Furthermore, the thermal stability of the obtained nanoparticles was examined. The nanowires were found to be stable up to approximately 140-160 degrees C. In this temperature range a structural transition to a more spherical crystallite shape occurred, which can be understood by thermodynamic considerations.     

Ligand effects on the size and purity of Pd nanoparticles

Palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NPs) were prepared by a single-phase reduction of palladium acetate in the presence of different organic thiol ligands. Sizes, size distributions and crystallinity of the Pd-NPs were determined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) while thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy (TGA-MS) was employed to measure their organic ligand to palladium ratios and to quantify contaminants. No systematic effect of the different ligands on the size and purity of the Pd-NPs was observed but 1^st-generation Frechet dendron thiols had an about 4 times larger foot-print at the surface of the NPs than the other thiol ligands.     

Ga2O3 and GaN nanocrystalline film: reverse micelle assisted solvothermal synthesis and characterization

Gallium oxide (beta-Ga2O3) nanoparticles were successfully deposited on quartz glass substrates using sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/n-hexane/ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) reverse micelle-mediated solvothermal process with different omega values. The mean diameter of Ga2O3 particles was approximately 2-3 nm and found to be approximately independent of omega values of the reverse micelles. However, when the Ga2O3 nanocrystalline films were nitrided at 900 degrees C under flowing NH3 atmosphere for 1 h, the mean diameter of the resulted gallium nitride (wurtzite-GaN) nanoparticles varied from 3-9 nm. Both nanocrystalline films of Ga2O3 and GaN were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence in order to study their chemical and physical properties explicitly.     

Ionic liquid-phase asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation: hydrogen concentration effects on enantioselectivity

Molecular hydrogen is almost four times more soluble in the ionic liquid 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMI·BF₄) than in its hexafluorophosphate (BMI·PF₆) analogue at the same pressure. The Henry coefficient solubility constant for the solution BMI·BF₄/H₂ is K=3.0×10⁻³ mol L⁻¹ atm⁻¹ and 8.8×10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ atm⁻¹ for BMI·PF₆/H₂, at room temperature. The asymmetric hydrogenation of (Z)-α-acetamido cinnamic acid and kinetic resolution of (±)-methyl-3-hydroxy-2-methylenebutanoate by (−)-1,2-bis((2R,5R)-2,5-diethylphospholano)benzene(cyclooctadiene)rhodium(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate and dichloro[(S)-(−)-2,2′-bis(di-p-tolylphosphino)-1,1′-binaphthyl]ruthenium(II) complexes immobilised in BMI·PF₆ and BMI·BF₄ were investigated. Remarkable effects in the conversion and enantioselectivity of these reactions were observed as a function of molecular hydrogen concentration in the ionic phase rather than pressure in the gas phase.     

Probing of ferrocenylanilines on model micelle/reverse micelle membrane and their enhanced reactivity for reactive oxidants

Reactive oxygen species are formed in the human body but can be removed by suitable antioxidants. In this study we synthesized and characterized three ferrocene derivatives, 4‐ferrocenylaniline (pFA), 3‐ferrocenylaniline (mFA) and 3‐methyl‐4‐ferrocenylaniline (MeFA), having significant potential to be used as antioxidants. The synthesized compounds are insoluble in water, with the solubility of these compounds increasing in micelle solution. The micelle and reverse micelle solutions were considered as model membranes. The synthesized compounds were probed on the model membranes, made by sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate reverse micelle and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide micelle, using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The ¹H NMR results indicated that these compounds are present in the polar region of the model membrane interface. Quantitative measurements showed that mFA has the greatest ability to penetrate into the micelle membrane among these compounds, and pFA is least penetrating in this respect. Solubilization of these compounds in aqueous micelle solution facilitates crystallization (of mFA) and enhances the antioxidant potential of these compounds. X‐ray crystal structure analysis revealed that mFA captures water molecules during crystallization in micelle solution. Their ability to act as antioxidants was evaluated, in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and in micelle solution, using standard 1,1‐ diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. It was found that their antioxidant potential is good in DMSO and that potential increases on the interface of the model membrane. The highest increase (by 19.6%) in the antioxidant potential, on the model membrane interface, was observed for mFA.     

Effect of compressed CO2 on the critical micelle concentration and aggregation number of AOT reverse micelles in isooctane

The effect of compressed CO2 on the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and aggregation number of sodium bis-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles in isooctane solution was studied by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy methods in the temperature range of 303.2-318.2 K and at different pressures or mole fractions of CO2 (X(CO2)). The capacity of the reverse micelles to solubilize water was also determined by direct observation. The standard Gibbs free energy (DeltaGo(m)), standard enthalpy (DeltaHo(m)), and standard entropy (DeltaSo(m)) for the formation of the reverse micelles were calculated by using the cmc data determined. It was discovered that the cmc versus X(CO2) curve and the DeltaGo(m) versus X(CO2) curve for a fixed temperature have a minimum, and the aggregation number and water-solubilization capacity of the reverse micelles reach a maximum at the X(CO2) value corresponding to that minimum. These results indicate that CO2 at a suitable concentration favors the formation of and can stabilize AOT reverse micelles. A detailed thermodynamic study showed that the driving force for the formation of the reverse micelles is entropy.     

Combinatorial approach to the study of particle size effects in electrocatalysis: synthesis of supported gold nanoparticles

A high-throughput method for physical vapor deposition has been applied to the synthesis of libraries of supported gold particles on amorphous substoichiometric TiO(x)() and carbon supports. The TiO(x)() substrate stoichiometry can be varied or kept constant across a supporting sample, and subsequent deposition of particle sizes on supports are controlled through the nucleation and growth process. TEM measurements indicate nucleation and growth of Au particles takes place, with the smallest particles initially observed at 1.4 nm with a maximum density of 5.5 x 10(12) cm(-2) on titania, and 2.6 nm with concomitantly lower density on carbon. The 1.4-nm particles on titania exhibit a binding energy shift in the Au(4f) core level of 0.3 eV from bulk gold, and the shift is approximately 0.1 eV by the time particles grow to a mean size of 2.5 nm. These shifts are associated with final state effects, and the supported gold particles are metallic and appear to be relatively stable in air. When combined with appropriate substrates and screening techniques, this method provides a highly controllable method for the high-throughput synthesis of model supported catalyst.