TY - JOUR A1 - Note, Carine A1 - Koetz, Joachim A1 - Kosmella, Sabine T1 - Structural changes in poly(ethyleneimine) modified microemulsion JF - Journal of colloid and interface science N2 - The influence of branched poly(ethyleneimine) on the phase behavior of the system sodium dodecylsulfate/toluene-pentanol (1:1)/water has been studied. The isotropic microemulsions still exist when water is replaced with aqueous solutions of PEI (up to 30% in weight), but their stability is significantly influenced. From a polymer concentration of 20 wt%, the polymer enhances the solubilization of water in oil, changes the sign of the spontaneous curvature of the surfactant film, and induces an inversion of the microemulsion type from water-in-oil (L-2) to oil-in-water (L-1), by the formation of a bicontinuous channel. Further investigations show that the addition of polymer in the L-2 phase changes the droplet-droplet interactions as the conductivity drops and the percolation disappears. In the bicontinuous channel, higher viscosities can be detected, as well as a weak percolation followed by a steep increase of the conductivity, which can be related to evident structural changes in the system. DSC measurements allow then to follow the changes of the water properties in the system, from interfacial-water in the L-2 phase to free-water in the sponge-like phase. Finally, all the measurements performed permit to characterize the structural transitions in the system and to understand the role of the added polymer. KW - polyelectrolyte KW - microemulsion KW - bicontinuous phase Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2006.06.071 SN - 0021-9797 VL - 302 SP - 662 EP - 668 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Note, Carine A1 - Kosmella, Sabine A1 - Koetz, Joachim T1 - Poly(ethyleneimine) as reducing and stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in w/o microemulsions JF - Colloids and surfaces : an international journal devoted to the principles and applications of colloid and interface science ; A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects N2 - This paper is focused on the use of branched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) as reducing as well as stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in different media. The process of nanoparticle formation was investigated, in the absence of any other reducing agents, in microemulsion template phase in comparison to the nucleation process in aqueous polymer solution. On the one hand, it was shown that the polyelectrolyte can be used for the controlled single-step synthesis and stabilization of gold nanoparticles via a nucleation reaction and particles with an average diameter of 7.1 nm can be produced. On the other hand, it was demonstrated that the polymer can also act as reducing and stabilizing agent in much more complex systems, i.e. in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion droplets. The reverse microemulsion droplets of the quaternary system sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)/toluene-pentanol (1:1)/water were successfully used for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The polymer, incorporated in the droplets, exhibits reducing properties, adsorbs on the surface of the nanoparticles and prevents their aggregation. Consequently, nanoparticles of 8.6 nm can be redispersed after solvent evaporation without a change of their size. Nevertheless, the polymer acts already as a "template" during the formation of the nanoparticles in water and in microemulsion, so that an additional template effect of the microemulsion is not observed. The particle formation for both methods is checked by means of UV-vis spectroscopy and the particle size and size distribution are investigated via dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - polyelectrolyte KW - microemulsion KW - gold nanoparticles Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.05.018 SN - 0927-7757 VL - 290 IS - 1-3 SP - 150 EP - 156 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -