International Summer School PROGRAM - Laboratoire d'Infochimie ...

Silica Nanoparticles with Proton Donor and Proton
Acceptor Groups: Synthesis and Aggregation
Gorbachuk Vl.V., Meleshina M.V., Yakimova L.S.,
Antipin I.S., Stoikov I.I., Zharov, I.
Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18 Kremlyovskaya St., Kazan,
e-mail: vladimirgorbachuk@gmail.com
Silica particles attract much attention due to their useful properties, which open numerous
opportunities for the preparation of functional nanomaterials. Functionalized silica particles are
relatively easy to prepare in a wide range of sizes and morphology, they can be functionalized with
various organic groups, and possess high stability. Materials based on these particles have unique
mechanical, thermal, optical, electronic and biological properties and find application in catalysis,
drug delivery, sensors, etc.
The effects of precursor structure and polycondensation conditions on the properties of hybrid
nanoparticles synthesized from organo-trimethoxysilanes were studied. Hybrid nanoparticles
containing groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds were synthesized from functional derivatives
of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane.
We have demonstrated that all these nanoparticles form aggregates in solution, and that the size of
these aggregates depends on solution pH, ionic strength and solvent polarity. Therefore, by changing
the pH of the solutions, it is possible to control the size of the nanoparticle aggregates. For
phenylurea-functionalized nanoparticles, three different synthetic methods have been used, allowing
to relate the composition of these nanoparticles to their aggregation behavior.
. Structures of obtained compounds and particles were characterized by NMR-, IR-spectroscopy,
mass-spectrometry, elemental analysis and combined TG-DSC. Aggregation behavior was studied
by DLS and AFM methods.
Acknowledgments: The financial support from RFBR (10-03- 92661-NSF), the Program of the
President of the Russian Federation for the State support of young Russian scientists—Candidates of
Sciences (MK-6390.2010.3) and NSF MWN grant (DMR-1008251) is gratefully acknowledged.