Stable oxide nanoparticle clusters obtained by complexation.
We report on the electrostatic complexation between polyelectrolyte-neutral copolymers and oppositely charged 6-nm crystalline nanoparticles. For two different dispersions of oxide nanoparticles, the electrostatic complexation gives rise to the formation of stable nanoparticle clusters in the range 20-100 nm. It is found that inside the clusters, the particles are "pasted" together by the polyelectrolyte blocks adsorbed on their surface. Cryo-transmission electronic microscopy allows visualization of the clusters and determination of the probability distribution functions in size and in aggregation number. The comparison between light scattering and cryo-microscopy results suggests the existence of a polymer brush around the clusters.
Berret
J-F
JF
Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057 CNRS Université Denis Diderot Paris-VII, 140 rue de Lourmel, F-75015 Paris, France. jean-francois.berret@paris7.jussieu.fr
Sehgal
A
A
Morvan
M
M
Sandre
O
O
Vacher
A
A
Airiau
M
M