Nanoparticle Synthesis and Growth in a Continuous Plasma Reactor from Organosilicon Precursors

Silica-like nanoparticles are produced from four different organosilicon monomers HMDSO, TMDSO, TEOS and TMOS in a continuous non-equilibrium plasma reactor. The nanoparticle synthesis is studied as a function of the process pressure, plasma power, gas velocity,and gas composition (Ar:O2:monomer). The morphology, mass production,and chemical composition of the plasma formed particlesare investigated. An adapted particle growth model for a continuous plasma reactor is introduced which explains the influence of the different process parameters on particle evolution. The morphology of the produced amorphous particles is similar to fumed silica, with primary particles in the size range of 10 nm building hard-agglomerates of several hundred nanometers during the synthesis.