Synthesis of metal nanoparticles via self-regulated reduction by an alcohol surfactant

A new method for the synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles has been develo ped whereby an alcohol-type surfactant, sodium alkyl sulfate (SC,S), is use d as the reductant, and there is no need for an external reducing agent. By changing the carbon chain length of the surfactant, the diameter of the na noparticles could be controlled. The Pd nanoparticles/SDS (where SDS is sod ium dodecyl sulfate) could be redispersed in both aqueous and non-polar org anic solvents, probably because 1-dodecanol was released from SDS and then coadsorbed with SDS on the surface of the nanoparticles, Additionally, a hi ghly ordered 3D "spheres-around-sphere" type nanostructure was found in the Pd nanoparticles/SC10S system. This configuration involved the transformat ion of the liquid crystal phase of the micelle molecules from micellar to l amellar.