TiO2 nanoparticles have many potential applications, but the high surface polarity makes the nanoparticles less compatible with hydrophobic matrices. Highly pure anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a hydrolysis precipitation method and the surface TiO2 nanoparticles was functionalized with oleic acid by a one-step modification method. The functionalization of TiO2 nanoparticles and morphological properties were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement evaluated dispersion stability behaviors of oleic acid functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles and TiO2 nanoparticles in polar and nonpolar solvents. Oleic acid functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles and TiO2 nanoparticles showed spherical shaped anatase phase of (101) lattice planes with diameter sizes ranging from 3 to 10 nm. Compared to TiO2 nanoparticles without the functionalization, the oleic acid functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles could form highly stable suspensions in nonpolar solvents due to increased affinity between oleic acid functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles surface and nonpolar media. Oleic acid functionalization TiO2 nanoparticles showed the most stable dispersion in chloroform. Based on our findings, by this simple effective surface functionalization of TiO2 nanoparticles using oleic acid, a stable colloidal solution of TiO2 nanoparticles can be attained in nonpolar solvents. Therefore, this oleic acid functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles method is an economical technique to control aggregate formation and strongly enhance compatibility between hydrophilic TiO2 nanoparticles and hydrophobic media in order to obtain desired properties of TiO2 nanoparticles to final materials without changing any properties of the nanoparticles in variety of applications such as polymer composites, foods, cosmetics, personal care products, biotechnologies, electrical and medical devices.

Improvements of TiO2 nanoparticle dispersion stability in nonpolar solvents by long chain fatty acid functionalization

249th National Meeting (2015)

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