Surface Modification Approach to TiO₂ Nanofluids with High Particle Concentration, Low Viscosity, and Electrochemical Activity

This study presents a new approach to the formulation of functional nanofluids with high solid loading and low viscosity while retaining the surface activity of nanoparticles, in particular, their electrochemical response. The proposed methodology can be applied to a variety of functional nanomaterials and enables exploration of nanofluids as a medium for industrial applications beyond heat transfer fluids, taking advantage of both liquid behavior and functionality of dispersed nanoparticles. The highest particle concentration achievable with pristine 25 nm titania (TiO2) nanoparticles in aqueous electrolytes (pH 11) is 20 wt %, which is limited by particle aggregation and high viscosity. We have developed a scalable one-step surface modification procedure for functionalizing those TiO2 nanoparticles with a monolayer coverage of propyl sulfonate groups, which provides steric and charge-based separation of particles in suspension. Stable nanofluids with TiO2 loadings up to 50 wt % and low viscosity are successfully prepared from surface-modified TiO2 nanoparticles in the same electrolytes. Viscosity and thermal conductivity of the resulting nanofluids are evaluated and compared to nanofluids prepared from pristine nanoparticles. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the surface-modified titania nanoparticles retain more than 78% of their electrochemical response as compared to that of the pristine material. Potential applications of the proposed nanofluids include, but are not limited to, electrochemical energy storage and catalysis, including photo- and electrocatalysis.