The impact of the polar core size and external organic media composition on micelle–micelle interactions: the effect on gold nanoparticle synthesis. (14th September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gutierrez, Jorge A.; Alejandra Luna, M.; Mariano Correa, N.; Silber, Juana J.; Darío Falcone, R.
• Is Part Of: New journal of chemistry. Volume 39:Number 11(2015:Nov.)
• Page Start: 8887
• Page End: 8895
• Publication Date: 2015-09-14
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chimie -- Périodiques; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/c5nj01126d
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1144-0546

Abstract

Abstract : An easy way to modulate reverse micelles as nanoreactors to produce different kinds of gold nanoparticles. Abstract : We report the effect of the molar ratio parameter W 0 ( W 0 = [water]/[surfactant]) and the external organic media composition on benzyl- n -hexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BHDC) reverse micelle (RM) interactions, the key step to nanoparticle synthesis using RMs as nanoreactors. The results show a better interaction between BHDC RM droplets when the external media contain toluene:hexane blends instead of pure toluene. This organic solvent mixture enhances the material exchange between droplets and more well defined and smaller gold nanoparticles were obtained at the two W 0 studied (3 and 6). On the other hand, BHDC RMs created in pure toluene give a stiffer environment with poor droplet–droplet interaction, and the Cl − counterions affect the growth of the particles, leading to different morphologies and sub-nanometer gold species production. These results are very promising for many applications. This work shows how each RM system is a unique and tunable nanoreactor.