Separating nanoparticles from microemulsions.
Water-in-oil microemulsions (w/o μEs) stabilized by the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTACl) have been used as reaction media to generate Au nanoparticles (Au-NPs). In addition the pure μEs have been used as media to disperse Au and Pd-NPs, which have been pre-synthesised in aqueous phases and stabilized by sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (MES) ligands, and also commercially available SiO(2)-NPs. A general method for recovery and separation of the nanoparticles from these mixed NP-μE systems has been demonstrated by tuning phase behavior of the background microemulsions. Addition of appropriate aliquots of water drives a clean liquid-liquid phase transition, resulting in two macroscopic layers, the NPs preferentially partition into an upper oil-rich phase and are separated from excess surfactant which resides in a lower aqueous portion. UV-vis and (1)H NMR spectroscopy have been used to follow these separation processes and quantify the recovery and recycle efficiencies for the different NPs. For example, ∼90% of the microemulsion-prepared Au-NPs can be recovered; with even greater separation efficiencies attainable for pre-synthesised MES-stabilized Au-MES-NPs (∼98%) and Pd-MES-NPs (92%). For the silica NP-μE dispersions gravimetry indicates ∼84% recovery of the NPs. TEM images of all systems showed that NP shapes and size distributions were generally preserved after these phase transfer processes. This low-energy and cost-effective purification route appears to be a quite general approach for processing different inorganic NPs, having advantages of being isothermal, using only commercially available inexpensive components and requiring no additional organic solvents.
Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. faizan_qau@yahoo.com
Muhammad Faizan
MF
Nazar
Olesya
O
Myakonkaya
Syed Sakhawat
SS
Shah
Julian
J
Eastoe
D000077286:Cetrimonium; D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods*; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D015080:Mesna / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010165:Palladium / Q000737:chemistry; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds; D004655:Emulsions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014867:Water; D010165:Palladium; D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D015080:Mesna; D000077286:Cetrimonium