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Direct Synthesis of Controlled‐Size Nanospheres inside Nanocavities of Self‐Organized Photopolymerizing Soft Oxometalates [PW 12 O 40 ] n ( n =1100–7500)
Author(s) -
Das Kousik,
Roy Soumyajit
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.201500336
Subject(s) - dynamic light scattering , vesicle , materials science , zeta potential , nanoparticle , hydrodynamic radius , micelle , spectroscopy , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , polymer chemistry , chemistry , membrane , physics , aqueous solution , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering
The unusual self‐assembly of {(BMIm) 2 (DMIm)[PW 12 O 40 ]} n ( n =1100–7500) (BMIm=1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium, DMIm=3,3′‐dimethyl‐1,1′‐diimidazolium) soft oxometalates (SOMs) with controlled size and a hollow nanocavity was exploited for the photochemical synthesis of polymeric nanospheres within the nanocavity of the SOM. The SOM vesicle has been characterized by using several techniques, including dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), attenuated total reflection (ATR) IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, microscopy, and zeta‐potential analysis. The self‐assembly and stabilization of this soft‐oxometalate vesicle has been shown by means of counter‐ion condensation. The immediate implication of such stabilization—the variation of the dielectric constant with the hydrodynamic radius of the vesicle—has been used to synthesize vesicles of controlled size. Such vesicles of varying size have been used as templates for polymerization reactions that produce polymeric spheres of controlled size. Direct evidence shows that the SOM behaves as a model heterogeneous catalytic system. Such surfactant‐ and initiator‐free photochemical synthetic routes for obtaining uniform latex spheres could be used in the making of optical bandgap materials, inverse opals, and paints.