Nanosized barium carbonate particles stabilized by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide at the water/hexamethylene interface

Nanoparticles of barium carbonate (BaCO3) have been synthesized in situ from barium chloride by the slow release of carbon dioxide by alkaline hydrolysis of diethyl carbonate, and stabilized by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at the water/hexamethylene interface. Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffractometry were used to characterize the products. The results indicate that spherical BaCO3 nanoparticles are obtained with poor crystallinity and diameters ranging from 30 to 300 nm. The possible formation mechanism of the nanoparticles at the interface is discussed.