Effect of the surfactant on size of nickel nanoparticles generated by liquid-phase plasma method

The effect of anionic and cationic surfactants on the generation of nickel nanoparticles in a liquid-phase plasma was investigated. The size and morphology of nanoparticles generated under different conditions were observed. When no surfactant was added, more and larger particles were generated under a longer plasma treatment time and a higher electrical conductivity of the solution. When an anionic surfactant SDS was added, spherical nickel nanoparticles with various sizes were generated, with no clear evidence for the effect of SDS observed. When a cationic surfactant CTAB was added, very small nanoparticles (≤ 10 nm) could be obtained with a short reaction time. When the reaction time was too long (≥ 60 minutes), larger polygonal or wisker-shaped particles were generated.