Improving the colloidal stability of PEGylated BaTiO3 nanoparticles with surfactants

Barium titanate, BaTiO3, nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used as a ferroelectric/piezoelectric/ pyroelectric material in the electronic-optical ceramic industry. However, the stability of BaTiO3 NP suspension is a matter of concern for their advanced applications in wet-ceramic manufacturing, imaging, and electrorheological fluids. In this study, we investigated the effect of three different surfactants (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (anionic), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (cationic), and sorbitan monooleate (non-ionic)) on the stability of PEGylated BaTiO3 nanoparticles in two solvents (water and ethylene glycol) by means of dynamic light scattering, ζ potential, UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and visual observation. Our findings indicate that the anionic surfactant acted as the best stabilizer for BaTiO3 nanofluids, while the cationic surfactant was the least favorable stabilizer in both water and ethylene glycol, due to the balance between attraction and repulsive forces. The results of this research provide a simple and effective approach to control and improve the colloidal stability of BaTiO3 nanoparticles.