Universal solvent restructuring induced by colloidal nanoparticles
Materials Science
2015-03-09 v1
Abstract
Colloidal nanoparticles, used for applications from catalysis and energy applications to cosmetics, are typically embedded in matrixes or dispersed in solutions. The entire particle surface, which is where reactions are expected to occur, is thus exposed. Here we show with x-ray pair distribution function analysis that polar and non-polar solvents universally restructure around nanoparticles. Layers of enhanced order exist with a thickness influenced by the molecule size and up to 2 nanometers beyond the nanoparticle surface. These results show that the enhanced reactivity of solvated nanoparticles includes a contribution from a solvation shell of the size of the particle itself.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1503.01887,
title = {Universal solvent restructuring induced by colloidal nanoparticles},
author = {Mirijam Zobel and Reinhard B. Neder and Simon A. J. Kimber},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1503.01887},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
Submitted version, published version has minor changes