Abstract :
Mastering the surface properties of nanoblocks is a major challenge in the study of complex chemical systems that possess, under the effect of external stimuli (e.g temperature), reversible variations in physicochemical properties such as viscosity, turbidity, etc.
It was with this in mind that the research group of professors C. V. Santilli and S. H. Pulcinelli (Chemical Institute, Araraquara, SP, Brazil) and the SAMBA (V. Briois) and SWING (F. Meneau) beamline teams at SOLEIL studied, using synchrotron (SAXS, EXAFS) and non-synchrotron (Raman, NMR) techniques, the structural characteristics of solutions of nanoblocks of polyoxotitanate with a surface modified by para-toluene sulfonic acid, to give a thermo-reversible sol-gel transition.
By combining the results obtained from the different techniques for the sol and gel states, it was possible to rationalize the forces driving the thermo-reversible transition.
References :
Kaminski, R. C., Pulcinelli, S. H., Judeinstein, P., Meneau, F., Briois, V., & Santilli, C. V.
Thermo-Reversible Sol-Gel Transition of Surface Modified Titanium Poly Oxo Building Blocks. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2010, 114 (3), pp 1416–1423 (abstract or full article).
