Facile preparation of CaCO3 nanoparticles with self-dispersing properties in the presence of dodecyl dimethyl betaine

CaCO3 nanoparticles with about 50 nm in size could be prepared by carbonation reaction of a mixture of Ca(OH)2 and dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS-12) via bubbling CO2 gas. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and photograph. The results indicate that the CaCO3 powder samples can self-diffuse in water, thus forming a suspension with enhanced stability and longevity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of the CaCO3 particles showed the appearance of the alkyl groups from BS-12. The CaCO3 nucleated in the presence of BS-12 exhibited different endothermic peak compared to one nucleated in the absence of BS-12 in thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). We have succeeded in surface modification of CaCO3 with BS-12. The presence of BS-12 accelerates the period of absorption and shortens the time of carbonation.