Preparation of Organic Fluid Containing Ag Nanoparticles with Extractant Cyanex 301

Abstract

Stable organic fluid containing silver nanoparticles modified by extractant Cyanex 301 (di‐(2, 4, 4‐trimethylpentyl) dithiophosphinic acid) has been prepared directly in alkane by the solvent extraction‐reduction method. Ag⁺ is extracted into alkane by Cyanex 301, then the obtained Ag⁺‐Cyanex 301 complex is reduced with solid sodium borohydride to obtain the organic fluids containing Ag nanoparticles. The organic fluids are so stable that the nanoparticles do not precipitate at room temperature for more than two months when the concentration of Ag nanoparticles is about 0.10 mol L⁻¹. The nanoparticles are characterized by XRD, TEM, IR, UV‐Vis, and TG‐DTG, showing that Ag nanoparticles are well modified by the extractant.

The obtained Ag nanoparticles can be dispersed well in organic solvent again, and the new fluids are very stable in air. The loading concentrations decrease with increase of solvent polarity.

Keywords:

• Ag
• nanoparticle
• organic fluid
• Cyanex 301
• dispersion

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Cytec Canada Inc. for kindly supplying the extractant Cyanex 301.