Proceedings

EPJ B Highlight - Anti-clumping strategy for nanoparticles

Schematic representation for a functionalized nanoparticle (NP) in brine.

Scientists identify the factors involved in preventing nanoparticles used in industrial applications from aggregating

Nanoparticles are ubiquitous in industrial applications ranging from drug delivery and biomedical diagnostics to developing hydrophobic surfaces, lubricant additives and enhanced oil recovery solutions in petroleum fields. For such nanoparticles to be effective, they need to remain well dispersed into the fluid surrounding them. In a study published in EPJ B, Brazilian physicists identified the conditions that lead to instability of nanoparticles and producing aggregates. This happens when the electric force on their surface no longer balances by the sum of the attractive or repulsive forces between nanoparticles. These findings were recently published by Lucas de Lara from the Centre for Natural and Human Sciences, at the University Federal of ABC (UFABC) in Santo André, SP, Brazil and colleagues.

The authors studied silica nanoparticles that do not react with their surroundings in a solution containing two types of salts, table salt and calcium chloride. They then attached an ending to the nanoparticles, a process called functionalisation. Featuring endings that are hydrophilic or hydrophobic can help nanoparticles remain dispersed.

They then varied the temperature and salt concentration and monitored the ion dispersion in the salty solution. In some cases, they observed the accumulation of ions around nanoparticles, leading to the formation of an electric double-layer around the nanoparticles in otherwise overall electrically neutral nanoparticle suspensions.

De Lara and colleagues then determined the factor influencing the stability of such nanoparticles in solutions. Their simulations suggest that the instability of functionalised nanoparticles dispersion in brine depends on several factors preceding their aggregation. The "culprits" include the formation of an electric double layer—observed to be greater for calcium chloride than for table salt—and the narrowing of that double layer. In addition, the considerable variation in the interface tension followed by a steep increase in ion mobility also contribute to instability. The group's findings on overall neutral nanoparticles are in line with previous work with electrically charged nanoparticles.

This was our first experience of publishing with EPJ Web of Conferences. We contacted the publisher in the middle of September, just one month prior to the Conference, but everything went through smoothly. We have had published MNPS Proceedings with different publishers in the past, and would like to tell that the EPJ Web of Conferences team was probably the best, very quick, helpful and interactive. Typically, we were getting responses from EPJ Web of Conferences team within less than an hour and have had help at every production stage.
We are very thankful to Solange Guenot, Web of Conferences Publishing Editor, and Isabelle Houlbert, Web of Conferences Production Editor, for their support. These ladies are top-level professionals, who made a great contribution to the success of this issue. We are fully satisfied with the publication of the Conference Proceedings and are looking forward to further cooperation. The publication was very fast, easy and of high quality. My colleagues and I strongly recommend EPJ Web of Conferences to anyone, who is interested in quick high-quality publication of conference proceedings.

On behalf of the Organizing and Program Committees and Editorial Team of MNPS-2019, Dr. Alexey B. Nadykto, Moscow State Technological University “STANKIN”, Moscow, Russia. EPJ Web of Conferences vol. 224 (2019)

ISSN: 2100-014X (Electronic Edition)

© EDP Sciences