Formal kinetics of growth of nanosized silver particles upon silver nitrate reduction with sodium citrate in a reverse micellar solution of AOT

The growth kinetics of silver nanoparticles upon silver(I) reduction with sodium citrate in an aqueous solution solubilized to a reverse micellar solution of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate in decane is studied spectrophotometrically under constant conditions of irradiation of the reaction mixture with visible light. The formal kinetics of the process corresponds to an autocatalytic mechanism. The effective rate constants of growth of silver nanoparticles, unlike those of gold nanoparticles, are independent of the size of the inner micellar cavity when its radius changes from 2 to 6 nm. This is most likely due to a great effect of the photochemical factor or Ag⁺ localization in the inner surface layer of the micelles on the rate constants.     

Thermochemicstry of the oxidative dissolution of silver nanoparticles in AOT reverse micelles

A procedure has been developed for thermochemical studies of two types of silver nanoparticles: coagulated nanoparticles in isolated nanopowders and unbound nanoparticles enclosed in micelles. The first type of nanoparticle was obtained and studied after destroying micelles. The heats and rates of dissolution of unbound nanoparticles (i.e., nanoparticles enclosed in micelles and involved in Brownian motion together with the latter) were determined by reacting them with nitric acid solubilized in micelle systems of the same composition. The heats of solution of Ag⁰ in HNO₃ found for isolated nanopowders were ?10 × (1 ± 0.3) kJ/mol; they were close to the results obtained for bulk samples under the same conditions. The heats of solution of nanoparticles in micelles were estimated at ?(17–25) kJ/mol. The dissolution rates of silver nanoparticles in micelles as functions of micelle composition were two to three times the dissolution rates of isolated nanopowders.     

Thermostability of Cromobacterium viscosum lipase in AOT/isooctane reverse micelle

The thermostability of Cromobacterium viscosum lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) entrapped in AOT (sodium bis-[2-ethylhexyl] sulfosuccinate) reverse micelles was increased by the addition of short-chain polyethylene glycol (PEG 400). Two different approaches were considered: (1) the determination of half-life time and (2) the mechanistic analysis of deactivation kinetics. The half-life of lipase entrapped in AOT/isooctane reverse micelles with PEG 400 at 60 degrees C was 28 h, ninefold higher than that in reverse micelles without PEG 400. The lipase entrapped in both reverse micellar systems followed a series-type deactivation mechanism involving two first-order steps. The deactivation constant for the first step at 60 degrees C in PEG containing reverse micelles was 0.055 h!1, 11-fold lower than that in reverse micelles without PEG, whereas it remained almost constant for the second step. The inactivation energy of the lipase entrapped in reverse micelles with and without PEG 400 was 88.12 and 21.97 kJ/mol, respectively.     

Dissolution kinetics of fluorapatite in the hydrochloric acid solution

A thermochemical study of hydrochloric acid attack of synthetic fluorapatite was performed by a DRC. The calculated thermogenesis curves show one peak. The plot of the heat quantity as a function of the dissolved mass undergoes only one straight segment, and the thermogenesis curves present a single peak, suggesting the occurrence of a one-step dissolution process. The dissolution kinetics was examined according to the heterogeneous reaction models and showed that the dissolution is controlled by the product layer diffusion process with a reaction rate expressed by the following semiempirical equation; \(\left[ {1 + 2(1 - X) - 3(1 - X)^{{\frac{2}{3}}} } \right] = 3195 \times 10^{ - 2} C^{0.145} \left( {\frac{S}{L}} \right)^{ - 0.628} e^{{ - \frac{2600}{\text T}}} t\). The activation energy was determined as 21.6 ± 1.5 kJ mol^?1     

Intramolecular charge transfer at reverse micelle-water pool interface: p-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoic acid in AOT/cyclohexane/water reverse micelle

Photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) of p-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoic acid (DMABOA) in AOT/cyclohexane/H2O reverse micelle was investigated and compared with that in CTAB/1-heptanol/H2O reverse micelle. It is proposed that the DMABOA molecule exists at the AOT reverse micelle water pool interface with its carboxylic group heading toward the water pool while the dimethylaminophenyl moiety buried in the micellar phase. Dual fluorescence of DMABOA that is indicative of the ICT reaction in the excited state was observed over the investigated water pool size, W of 3-17, in the AOT reverse micelle. The ICT emission of DMABOA in the AOT reverse micelle-water pool interface was found to be much weaker than that in the CTAB reverse micelle-water pool interface, and was attributed to the parallel direction of the electric field at the AOT reverse micelle-water pool interface to the charge transfer.     

Heat release kinetics in the reaction of decane with nitric acid

The kinetics of the reaction of decane with nitric acid (25.07–75.53 %) at 57.8 to 119 °C in an acid-decane-gas triphasic system was studied. The main contribution to the rate of heat release is made by the oxidation of decane with nitrogen dioxide in the organic phase proceedingvia the mechanism of a degenerate branched-chain reaction. Nitration plays the role of a chain termination reaction. The acid phase is the source of NO₂, whose content increases with oxidation. The equilibrium of the nitrogen dioxide distribution in the triphasic system was analyzed. The kinetic law of the reaction, the dependences of the reaction constants of the initial and catalytic stages on temperature and the acid phase composition were determined. The results allow one to calculate the rate of heat release in the decane-HNO₃ system under any conditions of the process.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1986–1991, August, 1996.     

Growth kinetics for AgI nanoparticles in AOT reverse micelles: effect of molecular length of hydrocarbon solvents

The growth kinetics for AgI nanoparticles formed in the solutions of water/AOT reverse micelles in n-hexane, n-octane, n-decane, and n-dodecane were investigated. In small micelles, the rate of nanoparticles growth was found to be independent of the type of solvent, while in large micelles the growth rate grew with increasing length of solvent molecules. The effect was explained by a different amount of free water in the micelle pools of the same size.     

Morphological control of calcium carbonate crystallized in reverse micelle system with anionic surfactants SDS and AOT

The influence of a surfactant over water on the polymorphism and crystal size of calcium carbonate produced by reaction crystallization in microemulsion systems was investigated in a mixing tank reactor. The crystallization was induced by the reaction between two aqueous micelle solutions (Na2CO3-CaCl2) stabilized by anionic surfactants, SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) or AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate). With increasing surfactant ratio to water, the water-in-oil microemulsion was stably developed and the morphology of the calcium carbonate crystallized in the micelles sharply transformed from calcite to vaterite. The influence of SDS on the polymorphism and crystal size of calcium carbonate was much clearer than that of AOT. In addition, with AOT, certain step changes in the morphology and crystal size occurred around a surfactant ratio to water (R=[H2O]/[surfactant]) of 15 due to a two-phase separation of the microemulsion.     

Spectroluminescent properties of cadmium selenide nanoparticles synthesized in AOT reverse micelles

Cadmium selenide nanoparticles have been synthesized in solutions of AOT/water/n-heptane reverse micelles with average micelle water pool diameters of 25, 30, and 47 Å using cadmium sulfate (CdSO₄) and sodium selenosulfate (Na₂SeSO₃) as precursors. Absorption and fluorescence spectra of the obtained nanoparticles were recorded. The picosecond dynamics of fluorescence decay over the entire range of their emission band have been investigated by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. A procedure for the stabilization of nanoparticles by dodecanethiol was developed for electron microscopy analysis.     

Thermochemical study of silver halide nanoparticles formation conditions in AOT inverted micelles

AgCl and AgBr nanoparticles formation conditions were studied by a thermochemical method in AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate) inverted micellar systems, in AOT—dioctyl sulfide (DOS) mixed micelles, and (for comparison) in aqueous solutions. The heats of formation of AgCl and AgBr nanoparticles in AOT micelles in exchange reactions with potassium halides are, respectively, −55.5 × (1 ± 0.07) and −68.6 × (1 ± 0.07) kJ/mol, that is, smaller in magnitude than the values obtained for aqueous solutions (−68 × (1 ± 0.07) and −88 × (1 ± 0.07) kJ/mol). This difference arises from the existence of particle interactions causing the formation of coagulation contacts between halide particles followed by precipitation in an aqueous phase and the absence of such interactions in a micellar medium. DOS interacts with AOT (to form mixed micelles) and with silver ions (in long-term contact), thus reducing the heats of reactions.     

Interaction of silver nanoparticles with ozone in aqueous solution

The interaction between ozone and silver nanoparticles stabilized with sodium polyphosphate is studied in aqueous solutions. The process of ozone decomposition is established to have a chain character. The oxidation of one silver atom initiates the decomposition of about three ozone molecules. The stability of colloidal silver decreases upon the oxidation, which leads to its partial aggregation.     

Dissolution kinetics of oxidic nanoparticles: The observation of an unusual behaviour

The solubility of nanoparticles was measured in aqueous solution as a function of time, and oxides of aluminium, silicon, titanium, and zirconium were investigated. Our solubility results show a maximum at the beginning of the dissolution process, whereas over time, the solubility levels are shown to decrease. Depending on the special conditions the solubility maximum may exceed the long-time solubility of the nanoparticles by several orders of magnitude. This behaviour is called as kinetic size effect. The extent of the effect depends on the size, surface tension and mass of the particles exposed to dissolution. It will always be of practical interest if a larger quantity of nanoparticles is brought into contact with a solvent, even when the equilibrium solubility data appears negligible. A rigorous thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of a colloidal system, which includes nucleation, particle growth, Ostwald ripening, and dissolution of particles, shows at least a qualitative agreement between all the experimental results and model calculations.     

Electrochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles in solution

Silver nanoparticles in the bulk solution were obtained by the potentiostatic electrolysis in undivided cell using silver anode at the potential of the mediator reduction (tetraviologen calix[4]resorcine) at room temperature in DMF/0.1 M Bu₄NPF₆ media. The metal nanoparticles aggregate to form larger particles eventually.     

Nucleation and growth kinetics of silver nanoparticles prepared by glutamic acid in micellar media

The title reaction in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) has been followed spectrophotometrically at 325 nm. In the process of reduction, characteristic surface resonance plasmon absorption peaks appear for the silver nanoparticles (NP) and the intensities increase with reaction time. UV–visible spectra suggest that [CTAB] and glutamic acid influence the morphology of the silver NP and act as shape‐directing agents, whereas [Ag⁺] has no effect. The effects of the total [glutamic acid], [CTAB], and [Ag⁺] on the apparent rate constants of silver NP formation are determined. The sigmoidal curve of absorbance versus reaction time indicates an autocatalytic path involved in the growth process. The α‐amino and ? COOH groups undergo chemical transformation (oxidative deamination and decarboxylation). The particles are spherical in shape with average diameters ranging between 12 and 25 nm, and their size distribution is wide. A plausible mechanism has been proposed with the following rate law: (d[silver sol])/dt = k[Ag⁺][Glutamic acid]_T. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 680–691, 2012     

Spectroscopic characteristics of gold nanoparticles synthesized in an aqueous solution of a micelle-forming surfactant (AOT)

Gold nanoparticles were synthesized in aqueous solutions of AOT using hydrazine as the reducing agent and characterized by spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and photon-correlation spectroscopy. The effect of gold (C_Au = 10^–4–10^–3 mol/L) and AOT (C_AOT = 5 × 10^–4–2.5 × 10^–2 mol/L) concentrations on the formation of stable gold sols (λ_max = 520 nm) was studied. According to transmission electron microscopy data, the average size of gold nanoparticles in the dispersions was ~10 nm, which was in good agreement with the n-averaged hydrodynamic diameter determined by the photon correlation spectroscopy.     

Determining the hydrodynamic radii of AOT micelles with silver nanoparticles by means of photon correlation spectroscopy

The possibility of determining the sizes of micelles of sodium di(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) with silver nanoparticles in decane against the background of a large excess of empty micelles by means of photon correlation spectroscopy with unimodal analysis of the autocorrelation function is demonstrated. Contributions from all components to the light scattering are estimated by measuring the static (Rayleigh) light scattering and allowing for partial absorption of the laser radiation by silver nanoparticles. Areas of the correct determination of the hydrodynamic radius of the micelles with nanoparticles are determined via unimodal analysis of the autocorrelation function in dependence on the nanoparticle size (10–2 nm) and silver concentration (1–30 mM) at a constant AOT concentration (0.25 mol/L) and aqueous pseudophase content (1 vol %).     

Site-specific hydration status of an amphipathic peptide in AOT reverse micelles

Reverse micelles formed by sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) in isooctane (IO) and water have long been used as a means to provide a confined aqueous environment for various applications. In particular, AOT reverse micelles have often been used as a template to mimic membrane-water interfaces. While earlier studies have shown that membrane-binding peptides can indeed be incorporated into the polar cavity of AOT reverse micelles where they mostly fold into an alpha-helical structure, the underlying interactions leading to the ordered conformation are however not well understood. Herein, we have used circular dichroism (CD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies in conjunction with a local IR marker (i.e., the CN group of a non-natural amino acid, p-cyano-phenylalanine) and a global IR reporter (i.e., the amide I' band of the peptide backbone) to probe the conformation as well as the hydration status of an antimicrobial peptide, mastoparan x (MPx), in AOT reverse micelles of different water contents. Our results show that at, w0=6, MPx adopts an alpha-helical conformation with both the backbone and hydrophobic side chains mostly dehydrated, whereas its backbone becomes partially hydrated at w0=20. In addition, our results suggest that the amphipathic alpha-helix so formed orients itself in such a manner that its positively charged, lysine-rich, hydrophilic face points toward the negatively charged AOT head groups, while its hydrophobic face is directed toward the polar interior of the water pool. This picture is in marked contrast to that observed for the binding of MPx to phospholipid bilayers wherein the hydrophobic surface of the bound alpha-helix is buried deeper into the membrane interior.