Publications Details
Synthesis and characterization of FE colloid catalysts in inverse micelle solutions
Formation of Fe clusters in inverse micelles was studied. Iron salts are solubilized within the polar interior of inverse micelles, and addition of LiBH{sub 4} initiates reduction to produce monodisperse, nanometer-sized Fe based particles. The reaction sequence is sustained by material exchange between inverse micelles. Surfactant interface provides a spatial constraint on reaction volume, and reactions carried out in these micro-heterogeneous solutions produce colloidal sized particles (10--100 {Angstrom}) stabilized in solution against flocculation by surfactant. In this paper, the clusters were characterized using TEM, Moessbauer spectroscopy, electron diffraction, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.