A sonochemical-assisted synthesis of spherical silica nanostructures by using a new capping agent

Spherical silica nanostructures have been prepared using the sonochemical method. The silica nanoparticles were obtained by hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in an alcohol solution. The influence of different surfactants i.e. cationic, anionic, polymeric and a new Schiff base on the morphology of the synthesized silica has been investigated. Our results show that using acetyl acetanato ethylene diimine as a new capping agent leads to produce nanostructures with suitable size distribution. The effect of different parameters such as concentration, ultrasonic wave power and reaction time on the morphology and size of the products was examined. Nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR and EDS techniques.