title: Polyelectrolyte assisted charge titration spectrometry: Applications to latex and oxide nanoparticles.
abstract: The electrostatic charge density of particles is of paramount importance for the control of the dispersion stability. Conventional methods use potentiometric, conductometric or turbidity titration but require large amount of samples. Here we report a simple and cost-effective method called polyelectrolyte assisted charge titration spectrometry or PACTS. The technique takes advantage of the propensity of oppositely charged polymers and particles to assemble upon mixing, leading to aggregation or phase separation. The mixed dispersions exhibit a maximum in light scattering as a function of the volumetric ratio X, and the peak position XMax is linked to the particle charge density according to σ∼D0XMax where D0 is the particle diameter. The PACTS is successfully applied to organic latex, aluminum and silicon oxide particles of positive or negative charge using poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate). The protocol is also optimized with respect to important parameters such as pH and concentration, and to the polyelectrolyte molecular weight. The advantages of the PACTS technique are that it requires minute amounts of sample and that it is suitable to a broad variety of charged nano-objects.
authors.affiliation: Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057 CNRS Université Denis Diderot Paris-VII, Bâtiment Condorcet, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris, France. Electronic address: fanny.mousseau@univ-paris-diderot.fr.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mousseau
authors.affiliation: Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057 CNRS Université Denis Diderot Paris-VII, Bâtiment Condorcet, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vitorazi
authors.affiliation: Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057 CNRS Université Denis Diderot Paris-VII, Bâtiment Condorcet, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux, UPR CNRS 9048, Université Bordeaux 1, 87 Avenue du Docteur A. Schweitzer, Pessac cedex F-33608, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mornet
authors.affiliation: Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057 CNRS Université Denis Diderot Paris-VII, Bâtiment Condorcet, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris, France. Electronic address: jean-francois.berret@univ-paris-diderot.fr.
authors.forename: J-F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Berret
keywords: Charge density; Light scattering; Nanoparticles; Polyelectrolyte complex