Abstract

The formation of silica particles by the ammonia-catalyzed hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in the polyoxyethylene (5) nonylphenyl ether (NP-5)/cyclohexane/water microemulsion system was investigated by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The SAXS data could be modeled as a combination of two species where one describes the silica-particle containing microemulsion droplets and the other the reverse droplets. The analysis allowed the determination of the evolution of the system of particles of silica and reverse droplets. A model of nucleation and growth of the silica particles is confirmed and the volume fraction versus time data for the silica particles is in agreement with first order kinetics with respect to TEOS concentration. Moreover to describe the long time evolution of the system, a correlation among the silica particles has been taken into account by introducing a structure factor with a local silica volume fraction eta = 0.1. This high local density is 2 orders of magnitude larger than the global silica fraction and can be explained in terms of depleting interaction.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.