My wife is trying to synthesize a new nano-composite of MMT-Al2O3. She tried several methods, but most of the time, the Al2O3 nanoparticles became agglomerated and have large sizes about micrometers.
We will appreciate if you had a similar experience and can help us to solve this problem.
Try ultrasonication for 30-60mins before characterisation and characterise the ultrasonicated sample
Dear Sudeep
My wife did this method before, but it didn't work.
thanks for your answer.
Dry the samples after synthesis, disperse in solvent and ultrasonicate at an elevated temperature of 60-70 degrees for 45 mind. Dry the ultrasonicate samples in oven at 60 degrees for an hour or two then characterise the dried samples
Sudeep Mudhulu Mojtaba Nematollahi
I'm afraid that drying or filtering the sample will not work. You will get a mass of fused sub- and post-micron aggregates and agglomerates. Indeed I wrote a paper called 'Micron sized nanomaterials' a few years' back (2007). See: DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2006.10.012
All sonication will do is cause the destruction of the probe tip by cavitation and thus contamination of the sample.
In order to preserve the nano features (< 100 nm) of the system then the material should stay in colloidal suspension. Measure the SSA of your powder. If it's < 60 m2/g (unit density) then it cannot be considered 'nano'. See also this recent webinar:
Dispersion and nanotechnology
https://www.brainshark.com/malvern/vu?pi=zHSznNgprz5chz0
thanks a lot Alan F Rawle ,
I didn't know so much...all i knew was that ultrasonication helps in better dispersion of nanoparticles and prevents their agglomeration :p
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