Cyan
Ni
1–
x
Al
2+2
x
/3
O
4
single-phase pigments with various
Ni/Al atomic ratios (from 1:2 down to 1:4) have been prepared by a
sol–gel route (Pechini) followed by postannealing treatments.
Nickel aluminates crystallize in the well-known spinel structure (
Fd
3
m
space group), where metals are located
at two different Wyckoff positions: 16d (octahedron) and 8a (tetrahedron).
Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) Rietveld refinements, Ni
2+
cations are shown to be partially located in both tetrahedral and
octahedral sites and, in addition, cationic vacancies occupy the Oh
environment. In the pure-phase series, Ni/Al = 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, as
the Al content increases, the Ni
2+
rate in the Td site
decreases for Ni/Al = 0.45, thus altering the cyan color; within this
series, the most saturated cyan coloration is reached for the highest
Al concentration. Inorganic pigment drawbacks are their high density
and hydrophilic surface, which induce sedimentation and aggregation
in nonpolar media used in electrophoretic inks. Hybrid core–shell
particle pigments have been synthesized from cyan pigments using nitroxide-mediated
radical polymerization (NMRP) with methyl methacrylate monomer in
Isopar G, leading to a dispersion of electrically charged hybrids
in apolar media. Surface functionalization of the pigments by
n
-octyltrimethoxysilane (OTS) and
n
-dodecyltrimethoxysilane
(DTS) modifiers has been compared. The inorganic pigments are successfully
encapsulated by organic shells to allow a strong decrease in their
density. Cyan inks, adequate for their use in e-book readers or other
electrophoretic displays, taking further advantage of the high contrast
ratio and reflectivity of inorganic pigments in regard to organic
dyes, have been stabilized.