Silica dispersions in nonpolar solvent

Hypothesis Silica nanoparticles can be dispersed in organic solvents (organosols) using surfactants, such as didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). DDAB analogues prepared with lathanide tetrahalide counterions, either a high-magnetic moment ion (HoCl3Br, DDAH) or low-magnetic moment one (NdCl3Br, DDAN), are expected to produce charged particles but only DDAH-stabilized dispersions are expected to be magnetically responsive. Experiments Phase-analysis light scattering (PALS) measurements have been performed to determine the charge on DDAHand DDAN-stabilized organosols. Magnetic sedimentation experiments have been performed to determine whether or not the silica dispersions are magnetically responsive. Sedimentation was monitored both by visual observations and UV-vis spectroscopy. Findings Both DDAH and DDAN organosols are negatively charged, the same as DDAB-stabilized nanoparticles. The DDAH-stabilized nanoparticles are found to respond to a magnetic field, whereas the DDANstabilized nanoparticles do not. This opens up possibilities for creating nanoparticle dispersions in nonpolar solvents which can be tailored to respond to desired external stimuli.