Understanding the role of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide in the preparation of selenium nanoparticles: a spectroscopic approach

Abstract

In this work, we report the size tunable synthesis of selenium (Se) nanoparticles with an average particle size ~16 nm by using hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent. The solution of selenium dioxide was taken as the precursor and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) a cationic surfactant, which helps in providing sufficient stabilization to the Se nanoparticles. The synthesized Se nanoparticles were characterized by the UV–vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopic techniques, which demonstrated high stability of Se nanoparticles in aqueous media. The particle sizes estimated from the band gap values using effective mass approximation (EMA) agreed fairly well with those calculated from the XRD measurements. The concentration effects of Se and CTAB on the particle size have also been examined. The capping ability of the CTAB has been quantitatively evaluated from FTIR studies.