Anisotropic growth of ZnO nanoparticles driven by the structure of amine surfactants: the role of surface dynamics in nanocrystal growth.

ABSTRACT: Herein, we elucidate the key role of amine surfactants in the controlled anisotropic growth of ZnO nanoparticles that is achieved under mild conditions by organometallic hydrolysis. The structuring influence of alkyl substituents on the nitrogen atom of amines is jointly analyzed theoretically by DFT modeling, and experimentally by multinuclear NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁷O) spectroscopy. We demonstrate that in initial steps leading to the growth of colloidal ZnO particles, the nature of molecular species that are involved in the solution strongly depends on the structure of the amine surfactant. By using tertiary, secondary or primary amines, no or weak adducts between the amine and zinc, or stable adducts, or adduct oligomers were identified, respectively. Afterwa

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9418458 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature