Fluorinated microemulsions as reaction media for fluorous nanoparticles

Hollamby, M; Eastoe, J; Mutch, KJ; Rogers, S; Heenan, RK

Abstract

New fluorinated microemulsions (F-MEs) formulated from partially fluorinated solvent–co-solvent mixtures and fluorinated anionic AOT-analogue surfactants are reported. These F-MEs permit incorporation of water into fluorinated solvents, up to a volume fraction ?water ˜ 0.13. Interestingly, phase behavior and structures, determined by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), parallel many other classical AOT-type microemulsions, both in normal hydrocarbon and in supercritical-CO2 (scCO2) solvents. Using these new F-MEs as reaction media, F-capped silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have been synthesized, representing the first reported preparation of F-NPs in fluorous phase microemulsions.

• Acceptance Date: Nov 24, 2009
• Publication Date: Jan 4, 2010
• Journal: Soft Matter
• Print ISSN: 1744-683X
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Pages: 971 -976
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/b922260j
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1039/b922260j