Synthesis of highly stable silver colloids stabilized with water soluble sulfonated polyaniline

A simple technique was developed for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (NPs) in an aqueous medium using water soluble sulfonated polyaniline as a new non-covalent effective stabilizer. The narrow size distribution of the NPs was achieved through the synthesis. In neutral and basic solutions the as-prepared silver NPs demonstrated resistance toward aggregation over several months and at least a few days at pH 1. The versatility of the procedure was demonstrated also for the preparation of gold nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy with electron microdiffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD, XPS and FTIR analyses were used to characterize the structure and chemical composition of as obtained silver NPs.     

Synthesis and characterization of radiation crosslinked nano silver- polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene oxide composites

Poly (vinyl alcohol)/poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO/PVA) blends were modified by gamma irradiation in the presence of acrylic acid (AAc) monomer. The modified PVA/PEO blends were then complexed with silver nitrate salt and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate. Transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the distribution as well as the particle size of the silver nanoparticles (NP) formed in the matrix. The UV–vis absorbance spectra of the prepared grafted nanocomposite membranes confirmed the formation of Ag NP based on their surface plasmon band at 438?nm. The electrical properties of the blended electrolyte polymer films were characterized and discussed.     

Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization from TiO2 nanoparticles

Two kinds of hydrophilic polymers, poly(oxyethylene methacrylate) (POEM) and poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSSA), were grafted from TiO₂ nanoparticles via the surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique. Chlorine modified TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂-Cl), the ATRP initiators, were synthesized by the reaction of -OH in TiO₂ with 2-chloropropionyl chloride (CPC). FT-IR, UV-vis spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) clearly showed that the polymer chains were successfully grafted from the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The hydrophilically modified TiO₂ nanoparticles have a better dispersion in alcohol than unmodified nanoparticles, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was also found that the polymer grafting did not significantly alter the crystalline structure of the TiO₂ nanoparticles according to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Grafting amounts were 10% of the weight for both TiO₂-POEM and TiO₂-PSSA nanoparticles, as determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).     

Ac and Dc conductivities of polyaniline/poly vinyl formal blend films

The synthesis and characterization of polyaniline (PANI)/poly vinyl formal (PVF) blend films were carried out in this work. Polyaniline base was doped using dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA). These blend films were characterized by UV–Visible, FTIR spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate their optical, structural and morphological properties. It was found that the percolation threshold of these blends is 4.4 wt% of PANI. The dc and ac conductivities of these blend films have been measured at a temperature range from 300 to 100 K in the frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz. The electrical conductivity of the blend films enhanced with the increase of polyaniline amount up to a value of 2.5 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 65 wt% of polyaniline. The dc conductivity of the PANI/PVF blend films follows the three-dimension variable range hopping. Temperature variation of frequency exponents in this blend suggests that ac conduction is attributed to be correlated barrier hopping.     

ZnO nanoparticles dispersed PVA–PVP blend matrix based high performance flexible nanodielectrics for multifunctional microelectronic devices

Polymer nanocomposite (PNC) films based on the blend matrix of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) (50/50 wt%) incorporated with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (i.e., (PVA–PVP)–x wt% ZnO; x = 0, 1, 3 and 5) were prepared by solution-cast method. The behaviour of polymer-polymer and polymer-nanoparticle interactions in the PNC films was ascertained by employing X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray, and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopies. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were performed for the morphological characterization, whereas the thermal and optical properties of the PNC films were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, respectively. The dielectric and electrical behaviour of these PNC materials were determined by employing the dielectric relaxation spectroscopy over the frequency range from 20 Hz to 1 MHz. The influence of ZnO concentration on the degree of PVA crystalline phase and the crystallite size, surface morphology and roughness of the films, the glass phase transition and melting phase transition temperatures, direct and indirect optical energy band gap, refractive index, complex permittivity, electrical conductivity, activation energy and the structural dynamics of these PNC materials were explored. The investigated properties of the PNC films were credited to an innovation and engineering of novel high performance flexible nanodielectrics in the area of advanced functional materials for their promising applications especially in the next generation optoelectronic, gas sensor and microelectronic devices.     

Electrical resistance response of polyaniline films to water, ethanol, and nitric acid solution

<正>This paper reports on electrical resistance vs.aging time for the response of polyanihne films under exposure to water,ethanol and nitric acid(HNO_3) solution.Camphor sulfonic acid-doped polyanihne films were prepared by a "doping-dedoping-redoping" method,the morphology and microstructures of the films were characterized by a scanning electron microscope and an x-ray diffractometer,the electrical resistance was measured by a four-probe method.It was found that a lower amount of water molecules infiltrating the film can decrease the film's resistance possibly due to an enhancement of charge carrier transfer between polyanihne chains,whereas excessive water molecules can swell inter-chain distances and result in a quick increase of resistance.The resistance of the film under exposure to ethanol increases and becomes much larger than the original value.However,HNO3 solution can decrease the film's resistance sharply possibly owing to doping effect of protonic acid.These results can help to understand the conduction mechanism in polyaniline films,and also indicate that the films have potential application in chemical sensors.     

Surface Effect of Two Different Calcium Fluoride Fillers on the Non-Isothermal Crystallization Behavior of Poly(ethylene Terephthalate)

Two different types of calcium fluoride (CaF₂) particles were incorporated into a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) matrix, fine particles (～350 nm), and nanoparticles (～70 nm). Both of them were synthesized by a chemical precipitation method using triethanolamine (TEA) as stabilizer. To obtain the nanoparticles, a greater amount of TEA was added during the synthesis in order to limit their growth. Therefore, unlike the fine particles, nanoparticles contained a greater amount of the stabilizer. Once CaF₂ particles were obtained, the composite materials were prepared by melt-blending PET and particles at different filler loadings. The influence of both kinds of particles on the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of PET was investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The Jeziorny-modified Avrami equation was applied to describe the kinetics of the non-isothermal crystallization, and several parameters were analyzed (half-crystallization time, Avrami exponent, and rate constant). According to the results, it is clear that CaF₂ particles act as nucleating agents, accelerating the crystallization rate of PET. However, the effect on the crystallization rate was more noticeable with the addition of the fine particles where the surface plays an important role for epitaxial crystallization, while the addition of the nanoparticles with an organic surface coating resulted in a crystallization behavior similar to the observed for PET.     

Electroconductive polymer nanoparticles preparation and characterization of PANI and PEDOT nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of electroconductive polymers were prepared in micellar solution as a polymerization medium to overcome the poor processability of electroconductive polymers. The morphologies of particles were studied through SEM and electrical conductivities of pellets formed with nanoparticles were measured by four-probe apparatus. Among many other electroconductive polymers, nanoparticles of polyaniline and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) were prepared in anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate and dodecylbensen sulfonic acid micellar solutions. The sizes and shapes of particles were similar to those of micelles. The electrical conductivities of pellets formed with nanoparticles were 20 and 50 S/cm depending upon the polymerization conditions, which are higher values than those of pellets formed with particles prepared in bulk solutions.     

Incorporation of Ag nanoparticles into membrane mimetic systems composed by phospholipid layer‐by‐layer (LbL) films to achieve surface‐enhanced Raman scattering as a tool in drug interaction studies

The synergistic effect produced by nanoparticles when incorporated into different systems used as analytical tools represents a growing research field nowadays. On the other hand, the study of interactions involving pharmacological drugs and biological membranes using phospholipids as mimetic systems is a research field already well established. Here, we combine both the anionic phospholipid dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl glycerol (DPPG) and negative Ag nanoparticles (AgNP) to form layer‐by‐layer (LbL) multilayered films using the cationic polymer poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) as the supporting polyelectrolyte, which were further investigated in the presence of a phenothiazine compound (methylene blue—MB). The molecular architecture of the LbL films in terms of controlled growth, morphology with micro and nanometer spatial resolutions, and dispersion of both AgNP and MB within the DPPG matrix was determined combining spectroscopy [ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption and micro‐Raman spectroscopy] and microscopy [scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM)]. The results showed that the LbL films can be grown in a controlled way at nanometer thickness scale with the surface morphology susceptible to the presence of both AgNP and MB. The surface‐enhanced phenomenon was applied to investigate the LbL films taking the advantage of the strong surface‐enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) signal presented by the MB molecules. Besides, as MB is a pharmacological drug of interest, its molecular arrangements when dispersed in LbL films containing DPPG, which is the biological membrane mimetic system here, were investigated. In this case, the AgNP played a key role in achieving the MB SERRS signal. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cross-linked gelatin/nanoparticles composite coating on micro-arc oxidation film for corrosion and drug release

A composite coating which could control drug release and biocorrosion of magnesium alloy stent materials WE42 was prepared. This composite coating was fabricated on the surface of the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) film of the magnesium alloy, WE42, by mixing different degrees of cross-linked gelatin with well-dispersed poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles. The PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation/extraction technique. Nano ZS laser diffraction particle size analyzer detected that the size of the nanoparticles to be 150-300 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to analyze the morphology of the nanoparticles and the composite coating. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to evaluate the corrosion behavior of the composite coating. Drug release was determined by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometer. The corrosion resistance of the composite coating was improved by preventing the corrosive ions from diffusing to the MAO films. The drug release rate of paclitaxel (PTX) exhibited a nearly linear sustained-release profile with no significant burst releases.     

Nanocomposites of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Reinforced with Chemically Modified AL2O3: Synthesis and Characterization

The surface of α-alumina (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles was first modified with γ-aminopropyltriethoxy silane as a coupling agent. Then a series of poly(vinyl alcohol)/ surface modified Al₂O₃ nanocomposite suspensions were prepared in ethanol by a simple ultrasonic irradiation process. Composite films with 5, 10, and 15 wt % of inorganic Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were achieved after solvent evaporation. The formation of the composite materials were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and optical transparencies. The FE-SEM and TEM results showed a homogenous dispersion of nanoscale inorganic particles in the poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. TGA thermographs showed that the thermal stability of the prepared Al₂O₃-reinforced nanocomposites was improved, increasing with increasing content of the nanoparticles. According to the optical transparencies, the optical clarity of poly(vinyl alcohol)/Al₂O₃ nanocomposite films was only slightly affected by the presence of the Al₂O₃ content.     

Effects of temperature and humidity on electrospun conductive nanofibers based on polyaniline blends

This study focuses and discusses the effects of temperature and humidity on electrospun conductive nanofibers, made with different polymer blends, deposited directly on interdigitated electrodes. The selected conductive polymers were based on blends of polyaniline emeraldine salt form and three different carrier hosting polymers: polyvinilpyrrolidone, polystyrene, and polyethylene oxide respectively. The obtained fibrous layers were investigated by the electrical measurements and morphological analysis (scanning electron microscopy). The study was made on the correlation between the electrical changes and morphological discrepancies due to temperature treatment. Moreover, this article reports the effects of relative humidity variations on electrical parameters. Since polyaniline is a well-known sensing material for different gases and volatile organic compounds, this study could be considered a supportive study for employing of the mentioned polymer blends as chemical interactive materials in gas sensor applications.     

Characterization of electrochemically synthesized poly(2-fluoroaniline) film and its application to glucose biosensor

Poly(2-fluoroaniline) has been electrochemically deposited on ITO coated glass plates in the form of thin films using 4 M perchloric acid as electrolyte. These polymeric films have been spectroscopically characterized by FT-IR and UV-visible spectrophotometric methods. Room temperature electrical conductivity of the polymeric films was measured and found to be lower than that of polyaniline films. The SEM studies show the blunt needle like surface morphology of the polymeric film.Glucose oxidase (GOX) has been immobilized on to these electrochemically deposited conducting poly(2-fluoroaniline) films by physical adsorption method. The redox characterization of poly(2-fluoroaniline) and poly(2-fluoroaniline)/GOX films has been carried out by cyclic voltammetry technique. Amperometric detection of β-glucose was carried out by using the above enzyme immobilized polymeric film as a working electrode and Ag/AgCl as a reference electrode at a bias voltage of 0.2 V over a physiological range. The electrode carrying GOX was found to be stable up to 32 days.     

Gas-phase preparation and size control of Fe nanoparticles

The magnetic, electrical and optical properties of nanoparticle systems often depend on the size and size distribution of nanoparticles. In order to optimize those properties of nanoparticle-assembled materials, only varying the mean size of nanoparticles was not enough, and narrowing the size distribution was also of immense importance. In this study, uniform-sized Fe nanoparticles with different diameters were prepared using a magnetron sputtering combined with inert gas condensation technique. The size and morphology of nanoparticles were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The statistic results revealed that the size of Fe nanoparticles increased with increasing the flow rate of Ar gas, but a reverse trend was observed when increasing the flow rate of He gas. By adjusting the flow rate of Ar and He gases, uniform-sized Fe nanoparticles with diameter ranging from 6 to 13?nm were obtained. Moreover, the size effects on the electrical and magnetic properties of Fe nanoparticle-assembled films with thickness of about 500?nm were also investigated. The magnetic properties showed that the coercivity increased with increasing the nanoparticle size. The in-situ resistance measurement results of Fe nanoparticle assembled-films also showed a size-dependent behavior.     

Synthesis and characterization of conductive silver ink for electrode printing on cellulose film

Silver nanoparticles with size less than 50 nm were synthesized from silver nitrate, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and ethylene glycol, where these chemicals acted as metal precursor, stabilizer and reducing agent, respectively. Then a conductive silver ink was prepared with a suitable solvent by adding a viscosifier, hydroxyethyl-cellulose (HEC), and a surfactant, diethylene glycol (DEG). The combined effect of both viscosifier and surfactant on the physical property of the silver ink was analyzed by measuring the contact angle of the silver ink on a cellulose film. Moreover, the influences of PVP molecular weight and reaction temperature on the size of the silver nanoparticles were analyzed. Then the silver ink was coated on the cellulose film by spin coating and the effects of different solvents, sintering temperatures and solid contents on its electrical resistivity were examined. It was found that, with 50 % co-solvent of deionized water and DEG and solid content of around 50 %, the silver ink exhibited the lowest resistivity. This ink can be used for inkjet printing of conductive patterns on cellulose films.     

Synthesis and characterization of CdS/PVA nanocomposite films

A series CdS/PVA nanocomposite films with different amount of Cd salt have been prepared by means of the in situ synthesis method via the reaction of Cd²⁺-dispersed poly vinyl-alcohol (PVA) with H₂S. The as-prepared films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The XRD results indicated the formation of CdS nanoparticles with hexagonal phase in the PVA matrix. The primary FTIR spectra of CdS/PVA nanocomposite in different processing stages have been discussed. The vibrational absorption peak of CdS bond at 405 cm⁻¹ was observed, which further testified the generation of CdS nanoparticles. The TGA results showed incorporation of CdS nanoparticles significantly altered the thermal properties of PVA matrix. The photoluminescence and UV-vis spectroscopy revealed that the CdS/PVA films showed quantum confinement effect.     

Structure and frictional properties of Langmuir-Blodgett films of Cu nanoparticles modified by dialkyldithiophosphate

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of dialkyldithiophosphate (DDP) modified Cu nanoparticles were prepared. The structure, microfrictional behaviors and adhesion of the LB films were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic/friction force microscopy (AFM/FFM). Our results showed that the modified Cu nanoparticles have a typical core-shell structure and fine film-forming ability. The images of AFM/FFM showed that LB films of modified Cu nanoparticles were composed of many nanoparticles arranged closely and orderly and the nanoparticles had favorable behaviors of lower friction. The friction loop of the films indicated that the friction force was affected prominently by the surface slope of the Cu nanoparticles and the microfrictional behaviors showed obvious “ratchet effect”. The adhesion experiment showed that the modified Cu nanoparticle had a very small adhesive force.     

Synthesis and luminescent properties of PEO/lanthanide oxide nanoparticle hybrid films

In this study, we investigate the optical properties of lanthanide oxide nanoparticles dispersed in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) network as thermally stable polymeric films. The aim of this work is both to keep a good optical transparency in the visible domain and to obtain luminescent materials after incorporation of nanoparticles. For this purpose, we develop luminescent nanocrystals of oxides containing terbium ion as a doping element in Gd₂O₃. These sub-5-nm lanthanide oxides nanoparticles have been prepared by direct oxide precipitation in high-boiling polyalcohol solutions and characterized by luminescence spectroscopy. PEO/lanthanide oxide nanohybrid films are prepared by radical polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate after introduction of lanthanide oxide particles.As a first result; the obtained films present interesting luminescence properties with a very low lanthanide oxide content (up to 0.29 wt%). Furthermore, these films are still transparent and keep their original mechanical properties.Prior to describe the specific applications to optical use, we report here the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and luminescent properties of. nanohybrid films.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Polyethylene Nanocomposite Films Containing Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanoparticles Synthesized by a Cost-Effective and Safe Method

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized through a cost-effective and safe method followed by fabrication and characterization of polyethylene/ZnO nanocomposite films and investigation of their properties. The morphology and size of the synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). It was found that nanoparticles with a plate-like morphology with an average thickness of 50-70?nm were synthesized. The nanocomposites were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS). In addition, the effects of the amount of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on the mechanical properties of the films and particles and their antibacterial properties against a gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) were investigated. In the case of nanoparticles, one more gram-positive bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus) was studied. The results demonstrated an inhibition of growth of all bacteria in a broth medium for both the nanoparticles and nanocomposites. The FE-SEM micrographs revealed that by increasing the nanofiller content an inferior quality of dispersion was obtained which was reflected in the lower tensile strength of the nanocomposites compared to the pure PE. It was demonstrated that the addition of poly ethylene graft maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA), as compatibiliser, improved the dispersion state of the nanoparticles and, consequently, the ultimate mechanical properties. In addition, it was shown that the fabricated nanocomposites exhibited considerable UV-shielding properties.     

Investigation of polyaniline films produced by vacuum deposition method

Using FTIR and optical spectroscopy techniques, as well as electron scanning microscope, we investigated polyaniline films obtained by the method of fractional thermal vacuum deposition. The structure of produced polyaniline films depends essentially on the deposition temperature and molecular weight of the initial polymer. For a polymer with low molecular weight at temperature below 250°C a homogeneous oligomeric film is produced. At higher temperatures (higher than 300°C) linkages of oligomeric fragments occur leading to appearance of more complex structural formations. This is reflected in the morphology of films deposited at different temperatures. The films have a high transparency and relatively high, for polymers, index of refraction in the visible and near infrared ranges of spectrum.