Surface modification of silica nanoparticles by means of silanes: effect of various parameters on the grafting reactions

Abstract

The adsorption of four silanes, namely: N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AEAPTMS), 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS), allyltrimethoxysilane (ATMS), N-2-[(N-vinylbenzylamino)ethyl]-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane hydrochloride (CVBS) onto the surface of silica nanoparticles has been studied using water/ethanol (5/95, v/v) mixture. Four experimental parameters were explored for the grafting of the silanes: pH, concentration, time, and temperature. Possible interactions between the silanes and the surface of silica were investigated by means of FT-IR Spectroscopy. The FT-IR analyses confirmed the effectiveness of the silanization of the silica surface. The amount of the adsorbed silane on the silica nanoparticles appeared to be influenced by the initial concentration of the silane, pH, time and temperature of modification.