The effect of surface dispersants on electrodeposited antimony nanoparticles

Stable antimony nanoparticles with various particle morphologies and particle sizes were fabricated by electrodeposition method with different surface dispersants. The particle phase, morphology and size of resulting antimony particles were analysed. The results show that the surface dispersant has a remarkable effect on particle size, morphology and aggregation of the antimony particles. The coating surface formed from a mixture of Tween-80 and alkyl phenol polyoxyethylene ether can lead to particles aggregation; another kind of coating surface formed from a mixture of sodium dodecyl sulfate and alkyl phenol polyoxyethylene ether cannot prevent particles agglomeration; and such agglomeration occurred when mesitylene was used as surface dispersant. When used independently, alkyl phenol polyoxyethylene ether effectively adsorbed to the surface of antimony particles. The good densification and large space steric effect of this organic coating resulted played an important role in obtaining the well dispersed antimony nanoparticles with an average particle size of 12 nm.