Affiliations: [a] Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI), College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea, Wales, UK | [b] SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Baglan Bay Innovation & Knowledge Centre, Central Avenue, Baglan, Port Talbot, Wales, UK | [c] Department of Chemistry, Manchester University, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK | [d] Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA | [e] Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Andrew R. Barron, Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI), College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea, Wales, UK. Tel.: +44 0 1792 606930; E-mails: a.r.barron@swansea.ac.uk; arb@rice.edu
Abstract: The functionalization of two different alumina morphologies (thin film and nanoparticle) with carboxylic acids is reported. Advancing contact angle measurements show that isonicotinic acid functionalization of a native aluminium oxide surface result in an increase in hydrophilicity. Isonicotinic acid and nicotinic acid functionalised alumina nanoparticles (iNA-NP and NA-NP, respectively) have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), thermo gravimetric analysis-infrared spectroscopy (TGA-IR), electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface grafting density for iNA-NP and NA-NP is determined to be 5.4 and 15.6 molecules/nm2, respectively. The reaction of iNA-NP with copper(II) acetate has been studied and the stability of the resulting complex species (CuA-iNA-NP) have been determined as a function of pH. UV-visible-near IR absorption spectroscopy indicates uptake of copper acetate from solution, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows a small shift in the nanoparticle N 1 s binding energy after complex formation with copper(II) acetate.
