Interfacial interaction in Ag/polymer nanocomposite films

• Published in: Journal of materials science letters 2001-08, Vol.20 (16), p.1473-1476
• Main Authors: Zeng, R, Rong, M Z, Zhang, M Q, Liang, H C, Zeng, H M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers
• ISSN: 0261-8028
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1017962010416

Sphere-like silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the reduction of silver ions with hydrazine in a water-in-oil microemulsion system, in which Cyclohexane, sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) and hexanol served as oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactant, respectively. The particle size changed as a function of water /surfactant molar ratio. In this work, a water/surfactant molar ratio of 10 was fixed. According to transmission electron microscopic observation, the mean diameter and standard deviation of the silver nanoparticles obtained under this condition are 7.9 and 3.7 nm, respectively. These particles in reverse-micellar solution were further capped by n-dodecyl mercaptan (C sub 12 H sub 25 SH), and then precipitated and isolated through centrifugation. The residual SDS and C sub 12 H sub 25 SH were removed by threefold washing with ethanol and re-centrifugation. After vacuum-drying at room temperature, surface-modified silver nanoparticles were obtained. For fabrication of 0-3 nanocomposite films with silver nanoparticles distributed homogeneously in transparent polymer matrices, including polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (AS) (with an acrylonitrile /styrene molar ratio = 38/62), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the polymers were firstly dissolved in chloroform.