Nanoparticles of tetrathiafulvalene chloride derivatives grown in the presence of amphiphilic molecules

Abstract

The work described in this paper is directed towards the electrosynthesis of TTFCl0,77 as spherical nanoparticles by using amphiphilic molecules, behaving as growth-controlling agents. The morphology and the size distribution of the particles were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy and the resulting powders were characterized by infrared and Raman spectroscopy along with X-ray diffraction. In the presence of dodecylamine, electron micrographs evidenced spherical and relatively well-dispersed nanoparticles exhibiting a mean diameter of about 10 nm. However, in the presence of N-octylfurfurylimine, a mixture of nanoparticles and sticks were formed. The best results in terms of smallness of particles size and narrowness size distribution were obtained in the presence of 1-octanamine, N-(2-thienylmethylene). Spherical nanoparticles exhibiting sizes in the 4–12 nm range with an average size of about 8 nm were observed. The nanoparticles powder exhibited a room temperature conductivity of about 0.01 S.cm–1.