Preparation and characterization of stearate-capped titanium dioxide nanoparticles

The preparation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles capped with stearate by s ol-gel methods is presented in this paper. The nanoparticles are characteri zed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and by X-ray photoelectron s pectroscopy. Existence of the organic layer can be confirmed by the results of characterizations, which also indicate that the inorganic nuclei and or ganic surface layer are linked with chemical bonds. The nanoparticles are p oorly crystallized based on the X-ray diffraction pattern. The mechanism of formation of the organo-capped nanoparticles is proposed to be competitive reactions between water and stearic acid, which is similar to a polymeriza tion and inhibition processes. A structural model for organo-capped nanopar ticles is also proposed, (C) 2000 Academic Press.