Analysis of the variations in the surface properties of SiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles obtained by different synthesis methods

Abstract

The article presents a comparative study of the surface properties of silica and alumina nanoparticles synthesized by various methods. Using the IR spectroscopy we demonstrated that the synthesis method affect the surface properties of nanoparticles while maintaining the phase composition of the material. The article demonstrates the relationship between the types of surface sites, their strength, and the interaction of nanoparticles with the dispersed medium. In particular, a significant difference was observed in the strength of the active sites for all samples, which was reflected in the rheology of nanofluids based on epoxy resin. This demonstrates the importance of accurate descriptions of the surface properties of nanoparticles, as they determine their interaction with other materials. The article also considers the possibility to evaluate the intensity of the particle-medium interaction based on the fractal dimension. Our study showed that it varies significantly depending on the synthesis method. The article discussed the possibility to determine the intensity of the particle-medium interaction using the values of the nanoparticle’s zeta potential and the interfacial layer

Keywords

• nanoparticles
• surface sites
• interfacial layer
• zeta potential
• nanoparticle synthesis