SYNTHESIS OF COPPER METALLIC CLUSTERS USING REVERSE MICELLES AS MICROREACTORS

Reverse micelles are used to synthesize in situ nanometallic copper pa rticles. In mixed reverse micelles with hydrazine as a reducing agent, metallic copper particles are formed. At low water content, small par ticles are obtained. With increasing water content, the size of the me tallic cluster increases from 2 to 10 nm. The use of pure copper surfa ctant molecules instead of mixed micelles favors the formation of cyli ndrical metallic particles. By using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent, in the absence of oxygen and at low water content, large metall ic copper particles (from 20 to 28 nm) are formed. With increasing wat er content, the metallic clusters progressively disappear, forming ins tead copper oxide particles.