Surfactant assisted synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of selenium nanoparticles in ambient conditions

In this work, an attempt has been made to synthesize well-distributed stable selenium (Se) particles of nanosize dimensions via an aqueous micellar solution by the assistance of surfactants of two different polarities (anionic, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) and cationic, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)). The morphology of the particles was examined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray analysis reveals that the particles have a monoclinic structure. The band gap of the particles was determined from UV-visible optical spectroscopic results. The size variation was estimated by employing a quantum confinement effect equation. The evolution of the selenium nanoparticles in AOT and CTAB micellar media was corroborated with the time-dependent absorption spectra. The influence of hydrazine hydrate concentrations on the formation kinetics of Se nanoparticles was also investigated. The capping ability of the surfactants has been quantitatively evaluated from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies.