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Nanodroplet Cluster Formation in Ionic Liquid Microemulsions
Author(s) -
Gao Yanan,
Voigt Andreas,
Hilfert Liane,
Sundmacher Kai
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.200800157
Subject(s) - microemulsion , dynamic light scattering , toluene , ionic liquid , chemistry , solvent , pulmonary surfactant , tetrafluoroborate , triton x 100 , chemical engineering , spectroscopy , cluster (spacecraft) , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering , catalysis , computer science , programming language
A common ionic liquid (IL), 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (bmimBF 4 ), is used as polar solvent to induce the formation of a reverse bmimBF 4 ‐in‐toluene IL microemulsion with the aid of the nonionic surfactant Triton X‐100. The swelling process of the microemulsion droplets by increasing bmimBF 4 content is detected by dynamic light scattering (DLS), conductivity, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and freeze‐fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF–TEM). The results show that the microemulsion droplets initially formed are enlarged by the addition of bmimBF 4 . However, successive addition of bmimBF 4 lead to the appearance of large‐sized microemulsion droplet clusters (200–400 nm). NMR spectroscopic analysis reveal that the special structures and properties of bmimBF 4 and Triton X‐100 together with the polar nature of toluene contribute to the formation of such self‐assemblies. These unique self‐assembled structures of IL‐based microemulsion droplet clusters may have some unusual and unique properties with a number of interesting possibilities for potential applications.