I have prepared selenium nanoparticles and added polymer as a stabilizing agent, practically, the solution was clear for months and no visible precipitation was observed, however, the zeta potential was found to be -0.4 mV, is it against logic to get such results?
Asim A. Balakit For steric stabilization, which you have with a polymeric coating, then zeta potential is practically irrelevant. Such stabilized particles can have zero mobility (I.e. 0 mV zeta potential) in an electrical field and be perfectly stable.
It is entirely logical!
In fact, the dispersion will be truly stable - i.e., never aggregate. In contrast, dispersions that rely on electrostatic stabilization will always eventually aggregate (even if it takes years or decades).
Asim A. Balakit For example, see:
Article Guidance to improve the scientific value of zeta-potential m...
Thanks a lot, Alan F Rawle and John Francis Miller for the useful information.
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