Synthesis and characterization of lanthanide based nanoparticles using polysaccharides

The goal of the project was to make lanthanide based nanoparticles. It was hoped that the methodology could be used to synthesize actinide based nanoparticles as the lanthanide elements have similar physical chemical properties as the actinide elements. The synthesis involves generating stabilized aqueous suspensions of nanosized particles of lanthanide salts that are insoluble in water. Lanthanide cations, Tb3+, Gd3+, Eu 3+, or La3+, will be chelated to a water soluble anionic polymer and mixed with an excess of anionic component that would, in the absence of the chelating anionic polymer, precipitate an insoluble lanthanide salt. The anionic polymer present in the mixture will act as a stabilizing agent and prevent the formation of bulk-sized lanthanide salts. In the first phase, various anionic polymers and various salt forms will be tested to evaluate which formulation will yield the most stable lanthanide nanoparticle. The nanoparticles thus synthesized will be characterized in a qualitative and quantitative way using UV/Vis spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, ICP analysis and electron microscopy