How does spacer length of imidazolium gemini surfactants control the fabrication of 2D-Langmuir films of silver-nanoparticles at the air–water interface?

• Imidazolium gemini surfactant capped silver nanoparticles were synthesized.
• Spacer length of geminis influences the morphologies of silver nanoparticles.
• These colloids were transferred from the aqueous layer to the chloroform layer.
• These colloids were spread at the air/water interface to form stable monolayer.
• Spacer length of geminis controls the fabrication of these 2D-Langmuir films.

A series of gemini surfactants based on cationic imidazolium ring as polar headgroup, abbreviated as [Im-n-Im], 2Br− (n = 2, 5, 6 and 12), was synthesized. Their ability to stabilize silver nanoparticles in aqueous media was investigated. The resulting suspensions were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). They exhibit specific morphologies by adopting different supramolecular assemblies in aqueous media depending on the internal packing arrangements and on the number of spacer methylene units [–(CH2)n–]. Individual colloids were extracted from the aqueous to chloroform layer and spread at the air/water interface to allow the formation of well-defined Langmuir films. By analysis of the surface pressure–area isotherms, the details about the packing behavior and orientation of the imidazolium gemini surfactant capped silver nanoparticles were obtained. Morphological features of the dynamic process of monolayer compression at the air–water interface were elucidated using Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). These monolayers were further transferred on mica sheets by the Langmuir–Blodgett technique at their associated collapse pressure and the morphology of these monolayers was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The number of spacer methylene units [–(CH2)n–] of the gemini surfactants exerted critical influence in modulating the characteristics of the resulting Langmuir films.

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