Size Controlled and Highly Concentrated Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Using Reverse Micelles of Sugar Surfactants

Abstract

Sugar surfactants are derived from renewable resources, and have biocompatible and biodegradable properties. Moreover, sugar surfactants exhibit good solubilization and dispersion. Since sucrose fatty acid esters and alkyl glucosides stably form reverse micelles in organic solvents, metal nanoparticles can be synthesized by using their reverse micelles as reaction fields. This paper introduces the size-controlled synthesis of metal nanoparticles by selecting the molecular shape of sugar surfactants, and the one-pot method of synthesizing metal nanoparticles at high concentrations.