Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2013, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (01): 131-138.doi: 10.3866/PKU.WHXB201210082

• SOFT MATTER • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Synthesis of a Novel Surfactant with Two Alkyl Tail-Chains (DDOBA) and Fabrication of Hydrophobic Gold Nanoparticles with High Monodispersity

HAN Ying, ZHU Lu, SHEN Ming, LI Heng-Heng   

  1. College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, P. R. China
  • Received:2012-08-14 Revised:2012-10-08 Published:2012-12-14
  • Supported by:

    The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21172190, 21273194) and funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

Abstract:

3,4-Didodecyloxybenzylamine (DDOBA), a novel surfactant with two alkyl tail chains, was designed and synthesized. DDOBA-capped hydrophobic gold nanoparticles were successfully fabricated using formic acid as a reducing agent in a DDOBA/n-butanol/n-heptane/formic acid/HAuCl4·4H2O water/oil (W/O) microemulsion system under microwave irradiation. DDOBA-stabilized gold nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results showed that DDOBA not only participated in the formation of a stable W/O microemulsion system, but also became a good protecting agent for gold nanoparticles. Within an appropriate concentration range of components in the W/O microemulsion system, hydrophobic gold nanoparticles with high monodispersity can be obtained using this experimental method and automatically form large areas of ordered monolayer built with DDOBA-capped gold nanoparticles at the air/water interface.

Key words: 3,4-Didodecyloxybenzylamine, Surfactant, W/O microemulsion, Hydrophobic gold nanoparticle, Formic acid, Microwave irradiation