ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Synthesis of barium sulfate (BaSO₄) nanoparticles via an EDTA-based complexing solvent system

Aisha Kanwal, Jie Li, Hetong Guo, Xiaocui Huang, Ansa Khalid, Yuxiang Yang, and Weiwei Huan

Key Lab of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

E-mail: yxyang@ecust.edu.cn

Received: 12 August 2025  Accepted: 31 December 2025

Abstract:

Barium sulfate is widely utilized in industrial and scientific applications owing to its high density, excellent chemical stability, and low solubility. In this study, barium sulfate nanoparticles were synthesized at room temperature using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a chelating agent to control nucleation and inhibit particle agglomeration. The effects of key synthesis parameters including reactant concentrations, pH, reaction temperature, and calcination on the particle size, morphology, and dispersibility were systematically investigated. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrated that precise modulation of barium chloride, sodium sulfate, and EDTA concentrations effectively regulated the nucleation and growth processes, yielding uniform, spherical, and well-dispersed nanoparticles. Optimal dispersion was achieved at pH levels between 9 and 10, with a reaction temperature of 30 °C. The coordination interaction between EDTA and barium ions, influenced by pH and chelating agent concentration, played a critical role in determining the final particle size. This work presents an energy-efficient, ambient-temperature synthesis approach for producing barium sulfate nanoparticles with tunable structural and morphological properties, suitable for diverse industrial and scientific applications.

Keywords: Barium sulphate; EDTA; Complex precipitation method; EDTA incorporation

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04661-4

Chemical Papers 80 (4) 3911–3924 (2026)