Self-assembled structure of nanoparticles at a liquid-liquid interface.
Pickering emulsions are used as a template to investigate the multiphase interactions and self-assembled structure of nanoparticles at a trichloroethylene-water interface. The dodecanethiol-capped silver nanoparticles of 1-5 nm form randomly distributed multilayers at the liquid/liquid interface, with an interparticle distance varying from close contact to approximately 25 nm. This report offers the first direct observation of nanoparticles in a liquid medium using the environmental transmission electron microscope, as well as the first work revealing the detailed self-assembled structure of nanoparticles at a liquid/liquid interface when the size of the nanoparticles is comparable to the molecular dimension of the liquids.
Dai
Lenore L
LL
Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA.
Sharma
Renu
R
Wu
Chih-yuan
CY
D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D004655:Emulsions; D014867:Water