Comparison of the Interfacial Activity between Homogeneous and Janus Gold Nanoparticles by Pendant Drop Tensiometry

The interfacial activity of 3.5 nm homogeneous (HPs) and amphiphilic Janus gold nanoparticles (JPs) was characterized by pendant drop tensiometry for water/air and water/decane interfaces. This technique requires a smaller quantity of nanoparticles than the traditional Langmuir balance technique. The direct deposition at the interface of the nanoparticles dispersed in a spreading solvent also requires smaller quantities of sample than does adsorption from the bulk. From the growing and shrinking of the pendant drops, the interfacial activity of the nanoparticles can be evaluated and compared within a wide range of area per particle. In this work, the JPs exhibited a higher interfacial activity than did the HPs in all cases. A hard disk model fits the piecewise compression isotherm of the HPs, yet this model underestimates the interactions between the JPs adsorbed at the interface.