Silver and gold nanoparticles in AOT and Brij-30 reverse microemulsions in saturated hydrocarbons: Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

The effect of the properties of solvent on the characteristics of microemulsions is studied in anionic (AOT) and nonionic (Brij-30) surfactants, which are widely used in reverse micelle synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles. The model solvents used are normal alkanes having six to 16 carbon atoms, which differed considerably from one another in the key parameters of dispersion medium for metal-based ink, namely, viscosity and volatility. The prepared organosols of nanoparticles were characterized using spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy, and laser electrophoresis.