The structures of ferrofluids (FFs) based on nonpolar solvent decahydronaphthalene, stabilized by saturated monocarboxylic acids with hydrocarbon chains of different lengths, C16 (palmitic acid) and ?12 (lauric acid), with an excess of acid molecules, have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering. It is found that the addition of acid to an initially stable system with optimal composition leads to more significant structural changes (related to aggregation) than those observed previously for this class of FFs. A comparison of the influence of monocarboxylic acids on the stability of nonpolar FFs suggests that the enhancement of aggregation is much more pronounced in the case of palmitic acid excess. This fact confirms the conclusion of previous studies, according to which an increase in the hydrocarbon chain length in a saturated acid reduces the efficiency of the corresponding FF stabilization.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)121-125
Number of pages5
JournalCrystallography Reports
Volume61
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2016

    Scopus subject areas

  • Chemistry(all)
  • Materials Science(all)
  • Condensed Matter Physics

ID: 28232242