Silica encapsulation of hydrophobically ligated PbSe nanocrystals

Spherical PbSe@SiO2 nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized within reverse micelles via metal alkoxide hydrolysis and condensation within a microemulsion system. These core-shell nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), NIR absorption spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and TEM electron diffractions. It shows that the obtained core-shell structures have a spherical shape with narrow size distribution (average size approximately 35 nm) and smooth surfaces. The size of the particles and the thickness of the shells can be controlled by manipulating the relative rates of the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) within the microemulsion.     

PFG NMR studies of lysine-silica solutions

The formation process of silica nanoparticles in lysine-silica mixtures was studied using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR measurements. (1)H NMR shows line broadening of the lysine resonances during TEOS hydrolysis/nanoparticle formation. Analysis of the TEOS hydrolysis kinetics show that TEOS hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step in particle formation, and has an activation energy of 20.5 kJ/mol. Transverse relaxation measurements show a corresponding decrease in T(2) with TEOS hydrolysis, indicating a reduction in the lysine mobility due to lysine-silica interactions. PFG NMR results indicate a systemic decrease in the self-diffusion coefficient of lysine as particle formation proceeds. The results obtained can be described using a two-state model wherein lysine is either free in solution or bound to the nanoparticles. Analysis of the PFG data of samples made at various temperatures show that lysine coverage upon complete hydrolysis is between 2.5 and 2.8 mmol lysine/kg solution, and insensitive to the heating temperature. PFG NMR shows a linear increase in the amount of bound lysine with increasing lysine content, indicating an increase in the surface area present, i.e. more and smaller particles, with increased lysine content. The PFG NMR results presented give quantitative insights that indicate that while pH is likely the primary driver for the rate of particle formation and particle size, lysine is critical for stabilization of the nanoparticles.     

反相微乳液法制备纳米SiO2的研究

在壬基酚聚氧乙烯5醚(NP-5)/环己烷/氨水的反相微乳液体系中，进行正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)的水解、缩合反应，得到粒径在30～50 nm的单分散纳米SiO₂胶体。红外光谱法(FTIR)及透射电子显微镜(TEM)观察证明了纳米SiO₂粒子的生成。反相微乳液体系相图的研究表明，水相为氨水比纯水有较窄的W/O型微乳区。氨水微乳液是碱催化TEOS水解、缩合制备纳米SiO₂粒子的适宜体系。当体系中TEOS的浓度增大时，粒子的粒径随之增大。降低NP-5     

非水反相微乳中NaCl纳米粒子的制备

在乙醇/Brij 30/十六烷反相微乳中利用无水NaAc与HCl反应制备了水可溶性晶态NaCl纳米粒子,平均粒径为 60 nm.与在甲酰胺/AOT/正庚烷反相微乳中制备的粒径约为1 μm的NaCl粒子进行比较,表明在特定条件下,非水微乳可以作为合成水可溶性纳米粒子的有效介质.     

Synthesis of Nanosize Silica in a Nonionic Water-in-Oil Microemulsion: Effects of the Water/Surfactant Molar Ratio and Ammonia Concentration

The effect of ammonia concentration on the region of existence of single-phase water-in-oil microemulsions has been investigated for the system polyoxyethylene (5) nonylphenyl ether (NP-5)/cyclohexane/ammonium hydroxide. The presence of ammonia decreases the size of the microemulsion region. A minimum concentration of surfactant (estimated at about 1.1 wt%) is required for solubilization of the aqueous phase; this value is not significantly affected by ammonia concentration. As indicated by fluorescence spectral data, the transition between bound and free water occurs when the water-to-surfactant molar ratio is about 1 and the presence of ammonium hydroxide does not appear to have a significant effect on this. Ultrafine (30-70 nm diameter), monodisperse silica particles produced by hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the microemulsion show a complex dependence of the particle size on the water-to-surfactant molar ratio (R) and on the concentration of ammonium hydroxide. At relatively low ammonia concentration in the aqueous pseudophase (1.6 wt% NH3) the particle size decreases monotonically with increase in R. However, for higher ammonia concentrations (6.3-29.6 wt% NH3) a minimum in particle size occurs as R is increased. These trends are rationalized in terms of (a) the effects of the concentration, structure, and dynamics of the NP-5 reverse micelles on the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of TEOS, and (b) the effects of ammonia concentration on the stability of the microemulsion phase, the hydrolysis/condensation reactions of TEOS, and the depolymerization of siloxane bonds. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Formation of fractal porous silica by hydrolysis of TEOS in a bicontinuous microemulsion

Mesoporous silica particles have been prepared by hydrolysis of TEOS (Si(OC₂H₅)₄) in bicontinuous microemulsions containing polyoxyethylene (POE) dodecylether, isooctane and water. TEOS was dissolved in a continuous water phase and hydrolyzed by the dispersed water at around the phase inversion temperature (60°C). Undulating solid materials with layered mesostructures were produced from middle-phase microemulsions in the three phase region (o/w=0.2–0.7). On the other hand, the solids obtained from the lower aqueous phase in the three phase region were found to have a heterogeneous disordered structure. Measurements of the fractal dimensions were performed in the macropore region using a box-counting method for the outline of the SEM texture. We found that the macropore size distribution in the particles prepared from the middle-phase microemulsion follows the fractal rule with a dimension of 1.7. From the results of nitrogen adsorption/desorption curves on the silica, a steep increase in the adsorption amounts was observed at a relative pressure below 0.2, and adsorption/desorption hysteresis was also observed at a relative pressure between 0.3 and 0.5. These studies suggest that the silica synthesized in the bicontinuous microemulsion mesostructure has a very broad size range from micro to macropores with a fractal distribution.     

The application of CdTe@SiO2 particles in immunoassay

CdTe@SiO(2) fluorescent particles were synthesized via hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion. Uniform luminophore-doped silica nanoparticles with 100nm in diameter were obtained using microemulsion method and characterized by SEM. Antibody proteins were successfully conjugated to the fluorescent particles by the reaction of avidin and biotin, which were confirmed by fluorescence spectra. CdTe@SiO(2) fluorescent particles were potentially useful for the applications in biolabeling and imaging.     

Polymerization of w/o microemulsions for the preparation of transparent SiO2/PMMA nanocomposites

Reverse w/o microemulsions composed of methyl methacrylate (MMA) forming the oil phase, nonionic surfactants, and water are used for the synthesis of transparent SiO2/PMMA nanocomposites. An inorganic precursor, tetraethoxysilane (Si(OEt)(4), TEOS), is hydrolyzed in the reverse micelles containing aqueous ammonia. During the hydrolysis of TEOS, polymerization of the continuous MMA phase is initiated using AIBN (azobisisobutyronitrile), and after thermal polymerization at 333 K for 12 h, solid blocks of PMMA are obtained in which nanometer-sized silica particles are trapped in the solid polymer matrix. According to small-angle X-ray and dynamic light scattering experiments, the water droplets in MMA microemulsions are 12 nm (R(W) = 13) in diameter, whereas after polymerization of the microemulsion, the SiO2 particles in the transparent SiO2/PMMA composites are 26 nm in diameter. Transmission electron micrographs demonstrate a low degree of agglomeration in the composites. In comparison with materials generated from micelle-free solutions, the particle size distribution is narrow. The reverse micelle-mediated approach produces composites of high transparency comparable with that of pure PMMA.     

TS-1分子筛的合成Ⅰ.29Si和1H NMR研究正硅酸乙酯的水解

利用29Si和1H NMR方法研究了TS-1分子筛合成过程中正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)的水解行为.1H NMR结果表明,TEOS在四丙基氢氧化铵(TPAOH)溶液中的水解速度快于在四乙基氢氧化铵(TEAOH)中的水解速度.TEOS水解后的29Si NMR谱显示,TEOS在TPAOH中水解产生的聚合硅酸根物种的分布与在TEAOH中的类似,都存在着单体、二聚、三聚及环聚等硅酸根物种的平衡,但TEOS-TEAOH体系中低聚硅酸根物种的浓度明显大于TEOS-TPAOH中的浓度.向水解后的样品中添加水,可促使多聚硅酸根物种转化为低聚物种.大量异丙醇的加入将导致单聚和二聚硅酸根物种的高聚.钛酸四丁酯加入到TEOS-TPAOH水解体系中得到的29Si NMR结果明显不同于TEOS-TEAOH水解体系.     

Size, volume fraction, and nucleation of Stober silica nanoparticles

29Si NMR, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) are used to monitor the synthesis of silica nanoparticles from the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of TEOS in methanol and ethanol. The reactions are conducted at a [TEOS] =0.5 M, low concentrations of ammonia ([NH(3)] =0.01-0.1 M), and [H(2)O] =1.1-4.4 M to resolve the initial size of the first nuclei and to follow their structural evolution. It is found that after an induction period where there is a buildup of singly hydrolyzed monomer, the first nuclei are fractal and open in structure. Interestingly, the nuclei are twice as large in ethanol (R(g) approximately 8 nm) as those in methanol (R(g) approximately 4 nm). The data suggest that the difference in primary particle size is possibly caused by a higher supersaturation ratio of the singly hydrolyzed monomer in methanol than in ethanol if it is assumed that the surface energy of the first nuclei is the same in methanol and ethanol. The particle number concentration and the volume fraction of the silica particles are calculated independently from the SAXS, DLS, and 29Si NMR results. Finally, the rate of nucleation is obtained from the particle number concentrations.     

Modification of the Stöber process by a polyazamacrocycle leading to unusual core-shell silica nanoparticles

In the view of designing functional nanoparticles, the encapsulation of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) within silica nanoparticles using the St?ber process was studied. In the presence of cyclen and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), silica particles exhibiting an unusual core-shell structure were obtained. On then basis of TEM, DLS, and NMR data, we suggest that the particle core is constituted of hybrid primary nanoparticles resulting from cyclen-silica interactions, whereas the shell formation results from further condensation of unreacted silica precursors. Control experiments performed with the zinc-cyclen complex and ammonia addition suggest that cyclen-TEOS interactions arise from the activation of the silicon alkoxide hydrolysis with the polyazamacrocycle amine groups. These data are discussed in the context of silica biomineralization mechanisms, where polyamine/silica interactions have been shown to play a major role. Moreover, the possibility to control the size and the structure of these nanoparticles makes them promising materials for pharmaceutical applications.     

Study on the morphological regulation mechanism of hollow silica microsphere prepared via emulsion droplet template

The morphology regulation of hollow silica microspheres is significant for their properties and applications. In this paper, hollow silica microspheres were formed through the hydrolysis and condensation reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) at the interface of the emulsion droplet templates composed of liquid paraffin and TEOS, followed by dissolving paraffin with ethanol. The effects of various factors including the emulsifier structure and content, TEOS content, catalyst type, and the ethanol content in the continuous water phase on the particle size, shell thickness and morphology of the prepared hollow silica microspheres were studied in detail. The results show that the diffusion and contact of TEOS and water molecules as well as the hydrolysis condensation reaction of TEOS at the oil-water interface are two critical processes for the synthesis and morphological regulation of hollow silica microspheres. Cationic emulsifier with a hydrophobic chain of appropriate length is the prerequisite for the successful synthesis of hollow silica microspheres. The ethanol content in water phase is the dominant factor to determine the average diameter of hollow microspheres, which can vary from 96 nm to 660 nm with the increase of the volume ratio of alcohol-water from 0 to 0.7. The silica wall thickness varies with the content and the hydrophobic chain length of the emulsifier, TEOS content, and the activity of the catalyst. The component of the soft template will affect the morphology of the silica wall. When the liquid paraffin is replaced by cyclohexane, hollow microspheres with fibrous mesoporous silica wall are fabricated. This work not only enriches the basic theory of interfacial polymerization in the emulsion system, but also provides ideas and methods for expanding the morphology and application of hollow silica microspheres.     

Time-resolved in situ small-angle X-ray scattering study of silica particle formation in nonionic water-in-oil microemulsions

The formation of silica particles by the ammonia-catalyzed hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in the polyoxyethylene (5) nonylphenyl ether (NP-5)/cyclohexane/water microemulsion system was investigated by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The SAXS data could be modeled as a combination of two species where one describes the silica-particle containing microemulsion droplets and the other the reverse droplets. The analysis allowed the determination of the evolution of the system of particles of silica and reverse droplets. A model of nucleation and growth of the silica particles is confirmed and the volume fraction versus time data for the silica particles is in agreement with first order kinetics with respect to TEOS concentration. Moreover to describe the long time evolution of the system, a correlation among the silica particles has been taken into account by introducing a structure factor with a local silica volume fraction eta = 0.1. This high local density is 2 orders of magnitude larger than the global silica fraction and can be explained in terms of depleting interaction.     

Hydrolysis and polycondensation of ethyl silicates. 1. Effect of pH and catalyst on the hydrolysis and polycondensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)

The effect of pH and of catalysts on the course of the hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in water—ethanol solution was studied with the aid of chromatography, potentiometry and gelation tests. Strong acids (HCl, HClO₄, HNO₃, H₂SO₄, p-toluenesulphonic acid), weak acids (Cl₃CCOOH, (COOH)₂, ClCH₂COOH, CH₃COOH, HCOOH) and LiOH were used as catalysts. The rate of hydrolysis depended on the pH of the solution and not on the chemical structure of the catalyst. The hydrolysis was both acid and base catalysed and its rate was at a minimum at pH 7.0.

The rate of condensation of the reaction products of the hydrolysis of TEOS (water—ethanol solutions of ethoxyhydroxysiloxanes) was at a minimum at a pH of about 2.0. The condensation was both acid and base catalysed and was markedly accelerated by both HF and H₃PO₄.     

微乳法制备纳米TiO2 /SiO2的结构及光催化研究

Nanosized TiO₂ and TiO₂/SiO₂ particles were prepared by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in the TX-100 reverse microemulsion. These particles were characterized by TG-DSC, XRD, FTIR, TEM，N₂ adsorption-desorption. Their photocatalytic activity was tested by degradation of methyl orange. The result shows that TiO₂/SiO₂ nanoparticles are with a monodispersed spherical phase and a uniform size distribution，and TiO₂ particles are dispersed on the surface of SiO₂. The band for Ti-O-Si vibration in FTIR was observed, the Ti-O-Si bond increased the stability of anatase TiO₂, suppressed the phase transformation of titania from anatase to rutile. And due to the addition of SiO₂, the average size of titania decreased from 38 nm in pure TiO₂ to 5 nm in TiO₂/SiO₂. It was found, under UV light irradiation, TiO₂/SiO₂ particles showed higher activity than pure TiO₂, and TiO₂/SiO₂(1/1) particles showed the highest photocatalytic activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange, which was influenced by crystal structure, particle size, crystallinity and Surface area Characteristics.     

Interfacial water with special electron donor properties: effect of water-surfactant interaction in confined reversed micellar environments and its influence on the coordination chemistry of a copper complex

The long-time behavior of the hydrolysis and condensation reaction of the tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) pre-solution at different pH values with and without addition of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) for various aging times was characterized by liquid (1)H, (13)C, and (29)Si NMR spectroscopy. After aging, the alcohol is released in the TEOS pre-solution without addition of PEG at pH 3 and 9. On the other hand, the hydrolysis and condensation rates of the TEOS pre-solutions with addition of PEG at pH 3 and 9 increase except for the TEOS pre-solution with addition of PEG 2000 at pH 9. However, the hydrolysis and condensation rates of the TEOS pre-solutions with and without addition of PEG at pH 5 and 7 are almost the same before and after aging. The effects of the pH values, polymer size and aging times on the hydrolysis and condensation reaction of the TEOS pre-solutions are discussed.     

Synthesis of spherical submicron-sized magnetite/silica nanocomposite particles

This paper describes a method for fabricating spherical submicron-sized silica particles that contained magnetite nanoparticles (magnetite/silica composite particles). The magnetite nanoparticles with a size of ca. 10 nm were prepared according to the Massart method, and were surface-modified with carboxyethylsilanetriol. The fabrication of magnetite/silica composite particles was performed in water/ethanol solution of tetraethoxyorthosilicate with ammonia catalyst in the presence of the surface-modified magnetite nanoparticles. The magnetite/silica composite particles with a size of ca. 100 nm were successfully prepared at 0.05 M TEOS, 15 M water, and 0.8 M ammonia with injection of the magnetite nanoparticle colloid at 2 min after the initiation of hydrolysis reaction of TEOS. Magnetite concentration in the composite particles could be raised to 17.3 wt.% by adjustment of the injected amount of the magnetite colloid, which brought about the saturation magnetization of 7.5 emu/g for the magnetite/silica composite particles.     

Precipitation of hematite nanoparticles via reverse microemulsion process

Hematite nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized via two processing routes:(i) conventional precipitation route and (ii) reverse microemulsion route.The particle precipitation was carried out in a semibatch reactor.A microemulsion system consisting of water,chloroform,1-butanol and surfactant was loaded with iron nitrates to form iron nanoparticles precipitation.The precipitation was performed in the single-phase microemulsion operating region.Three technical surfactants,with different structure and HLB value are employed.The influence of surfactant characterization on the size of produced iron oxide particle has been studied to gain a deeper understanding of the important controlling mechanisms in the formation of nanoparticles in a microemulsion.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM),surface area,pore volume,average pore diameter,pore size distribution and XRD were used to analyze the size,size distribution,shape and structure of precipitated iron nanoparticles.     

由硅酸酯合成单分散二氧化硅中碳的化学形态

单分散二氧化硅是指尺寸分布十分狭窄的二氧化硅颗粒．单分散颗粒在科学研究及工业应用中得到了广泛的应用［1］．单分散二氧化硅由正硅酸有机酯在氨催化下于醇溶液中水解缩合得到．硅酸酯的水解和缩合反应可用如下反应描述．总的反应式为：nSi（OR）4＋2nH20→nSiO2＋4nROH1956年Kolbe［2］发现正硅酸乙酯（TEOS）在碱催化下于乙醇溶剂中水解反应有时会形成均一颗粒二氧化硅以来，许多学者对这一反应体系进行了较为广泛的研究，提出了双分子缩合成核机理、单分子叠加生长机理、表面反应控制生长机理、扩散控制生长机理和微晶核团聚生…     

Poly(ethyleneimine) as reducing and stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in w/o microemulsions

This paper is focused on the use of branched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) as reducing as well as stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in different media. The process of nanoparticle formation was investigated, in the absence of any other reducing agents, in microemulsion template phase in comparison to the nucleation process in aqueous polymer solution.

On the one hand, it was shown that the polyelectrolyte can be used for the controlled single-step synthesis and stabilization of gold nanoparticles via a nucleation reaction and particles with an average diameter of 7.1 nm can be produced.

On the other hand, it was demonstrated that the polymer can also act as reducing and stabilizing agent in much more complex systems, i.e. in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion droplets. The reverse microemulsion droplets of the quaternary system sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)/toluene–pentanol (1:1)/water were successfully used for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The polymer, incorporated in the droplets, exhibits reducing properties, adsorbs on the surface of the nanoparticles and prevents their aggregation. Consequently, nanoparticles of 8.6 nm can be redispersed after solvent evaporation without a change of their size.

Nevertheless, the polymer acts already as a “template” during the formation of the nanoparticles in water and in microemulsion, so that an additional template effect of the microemulsion is not observed.

The particle formation for both methods is checked by means of UV–vis spectroscopy and the particle size and size distribution are investigated via dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).