I'm not sure to fully understand your question but, generally speaking, to turn an hydrophobic surface hydrophilic one uses amphiphilic molecules such surfactant (typically cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB)

Dear Dr. Juliette,

Thank you for your response. Indeed, I was looking for such an agent that can convert a hydrophobic surface to hydrophilic.

First you need to modify the surface of the ceramic particle for best results

Hi Nadiir,

In that case, do you know whether we need to use both a surfactant and dispersant while developing such a slurry?

I am also having the trouble of mixing a surface modified hydrophobic ceramic with almost the same recipe, that is, PVA, PEG and Water. But I'd thought to add a dispersant. 

So if I add PVA, PEG, Dispersant, do I require a surfactant?

Could anyone clarify the above for me, please?

Thanks in advance.

Kirpal

Hi Kirpal,

I would prefer someone with a better experience to answer you. Let's see.

Kind Regards.

I would try o use basic piranha to oxidate the organic group, maybe at elevated temp. It depends if ceramic will withstand that oxidative step.

Dear Kirpal,

Please see this link:

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Which_dispersant_would_you_recommend_Polyacrylic_acid_PAA_or_Ammonium_polymethacrylate

It answers your question.

Dear Pavel

Indeed, I'm afraid it can triggers an oxidation process. But thanks for the tip! It can be useful another time.

Regards.

We use dispersants such as Tritron X or SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) to disperse micro- and nanoparticles for our ink formulation. I guess it could also work with ceramics. 

Dear Enrico,

Thank you for the tip. Indeed, Triton X might work.

To this question: does hydrophilic or hydrophobic chain of Triton X experience any binding with another species, like hydrogen bonding?

here is a well described procedure for turning hydrophobic particles hydrophilic (this is applied to upconversion nanoparticles but it is a quite general procedure)

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2014/TA/c4ta02756f#!divAbstract

Dear Lyudmyla, sorry I'm not sure about it.

Dear Dr. Hatice, thank you for your explicit answer of citing the chemical groups needed to do such work.

Dr. Juliette,

Merci boucoup! C'est très gentil à vous.

We used Triton X-100 which is a non-ionic sufactant known as: 4-(1,1,3,3-Tetramethylbutyl)phenyl-polyethylene glycol, t-Octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol, Polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether.

We also used sodium lignin sulfonate which is a nonionic surfactant containing hydrophilic sulfonic and hydroxyl groups.

Dear Manila,

Thank you for sharing your views over here! I'll keep that in mind.

Best Regards.