Isidora Freris

Encapsulation of submicrometer-sized silica particles by a thin shell of poly(methyl methacrylate)

Polymer encapsulation of submicrometer-sized silica particles by synthesis of the polymer shell, poly(methyl methacrylate) under static conditions in a reaction medium free of surfactants and stabilizing agents is described. The Stöber method, a base-catalyzed hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate is used for the synthesis of the monodisperse colloidal dispersion of silica particles. The silica particles are subsequently modified in situ with the surface grafting of the silane coupling agent, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate. Encapsulation is achieved using tetraethyl orthosilicate as a reaction medium, in which a thermally initiated radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate is promoted in the presence of the modified particles by a seeding method which leads to a thin coating of poly(methyl methacrylate), and hence silica core-shell particles. The complete encapsulation of individual silica spheres by poly(methyl methacrylate) is visually evidenced by TEM microscopy which reveals the presence of a polymer shell coating up to 10 nm. Evidence for the presence of a poly(methyl methacrylate) shell is further corroborated by DSC/TGA, DRIFT-IR and NMR measurements.

Structural and magnetic properties of mesoporous SiO2 nanoparticles impregnated with iron oxide or cobalt-iron oxide nanocrystals

Magnetic nanocomposites of FeOx@SiO2 and CoFe2O4@SiO2 were prepared via a wet-impregnation route using mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a support matrix. The small pores in the matrix were exploited as nanocavities for controlled growth of the embedded oxide phase, initially examined by introducing different wt% loadings of FeOx in four different samples and sequentially treating them under oxidising and reducing conditions. Comparative examination of the morphological and structural properties of the FeOx@SiO2 compositions shows that a 17 wt% (nominal) loading of the oxide phase, a mixture of Fe3O4 (magnetite) and γ-Fe2O3 (maghemite), is fully embedded within the pores. The 60–70 nm dimensions of the SiO2 nanoparticles are visible in TEM micrographs which reveal a spheroidal shape. TEM also shows a ca. 3 nm size for the crystalline oxide particles embedded within, which agrees with the pore sizes estimated through porosimetric analysis. The measurements for field-cooled (FC), zero-field-cooled (ZFC) magnetizations, and hysteresis loops in the temperature range of 3 K to 300 K reveal that an enhancement in the density of magnetization is obtained for the 17 wt% FeOx@SiO2 sample following reductive thermal treatment. A CoFe2O4@SiO2 nanocomposite prepared with a nominal 14 wt% oxide shows comparable structure and morphology to the 17 wt% FeOx@SiO2 sample, yet superior magnetic properties. The higher density of magnetization in CoFe2O4@SiO2 is attributed to its 40% content of magnetic material in the crystalline phase, versus 6–8% in FeOx@SiO2. Efficient surface functionalisation with APTES, monitored by DRIFT-IR, implies that the magnetic nanocomposites could be used in bio-labelling applications. Data derived from Raman spectroscopy, N2 adsorption/desorption measurements, and TGA are also used to characterise the nanocomposite materials.

Evolution of the Nonionic Inverse Microemulsion−Acid−TEOS System during the Synthesis of Nanosized Silica via the Sol−Gel Process

The cyclohexane-igepal inverse microemulsion, comprehensively established for the synthesis of silica nanoparticles in an ammonia-catalyzed sol-gel process, was alternatively studied with an acid-catalyzed sol-gel process. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as the silica precursor, while two different aqueous phases containing either HNO(3) or HCl at two different concentrations, 0.1 and 0.05 M, were examined in the presence and in the absence of NaF, a catalyst of the condensation step. The evolution of the overall reacting system, specifically hydrolysis and polycondensation of reaction intermediates, was monitored in situ by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering. No size variation of the inverse micelles was detected throughout the sol-gel process. Conversely, the density of the micellar core increased after a certain time interval, indicating the presence of the polycondensation product. The IR spectra of the reacting mixture were in agreement with such a hypothesis. (1)H and (13)C NMR measurements provided information on the soluble species, the surfactant, and TEOS. The TEOS consumption was well fitted by means of an exponential decay, suggesting that a first-order kinetics for TEOS transpires in the various systems examined, with rate constants dependent not only on the acid concentration but also on its nature (anion specific effect), on the presence of NaF, and on the amount of water in the core of the inverse micelle. The self-diffusion coefficients, determined by means of PGSTE NMR, proved that a sizable amount of the byproduct ethanol was partitioned inside the inverse micelles. Characterization of the final product was carried out by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which concurrently confirmed that the silica isolated from the inverse nonionic microemulsion is not significantly different from the product of a bulk acid-catalyzed sol-gel synthesis. TEM micrographs illustrated particles with diameters smaller than the diameter of the inverse micelles as determined by SAXS, due to a shrinkage effect, in addition to nanostructured aggregates in the range 20-100 nm.

Self-assembly in surfactant-based liquid mixtures: Octanoic acid/Bis(2-ethylhexyl)amine systems

The physico-chemical properties of Bis(2-ethylhexyl)amine (BEEA) plus octanoic acid (OA) mixtures have been investigated by IR, SAXS, WAXS, viscosimetry, and AC complex impedance spectroscopy in the whole composition range. Mainly driven by proton transfer from the acidic OA to the basic BEEA, the formation of stoichiometrically well-defined adducts takes place in the mixtures. This causes the slowing down of molecular dynamics and the increase in charge carrier number density. Interestingly, while the pure components possess no significant conductivity (about 10(-12) S cm(-1) at 25 °C), their mixtures show a composition-dependent enhanced conductivity (up to about 10(-5) S cm(-1)), i.e., more than seven orders of magnitude higher than that of the pure components. The comparison of the composition dependence of viscosity, direct-current conductivity, and static permittivity indicates the concurrence of contributions of different adducts and that the dynamics controlling molecular reorientation and momentum and charge transfer, even if ultimately related to the proton transfer from OA to BEEA, are different. The results can be used not only to design novel materials for application purposes, but also to shed more light on the principles regulating molecular self-assembly in surfactant-based liquid systems.