Comparative structure analysis of non-polar organic ferrofluids stabilized by saturated mono-carboxylic acids

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2009 Jun 1;334(1):37-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2009.03.005. Epub 2009 Mar 28.

Abstract

The structure of ferrofluids (magnetite in decahydronaphtalene) stabilized with saturated mono-carboxylic acids of different chain lengths (lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids) is studied by means of magnetization analysis and small-angle neutron scattering. It is shown that in case of saturated acid surfactants, magnetite nanoparticles are dispersed in the carrier approximately with the same size distribution whose mean value and width are significantly less as compared to the classical stabilization with non-saturated oleic acid. The found thickness of the surfactant shell around magnetite is analyzed with respect to stabilizing properties of mono-carboxylic acids.