Synthesis and characterization of silver—poly(methylmethacrylate) nanocomposites

The optical properties of silver nanoparticles embedded in poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) was investigated as well as the influence of silver nanoparticles on the thermal properties of polymer matrix. The average size and particle size distribution of silver nanoparticles was determined using transmission electron microscopy. The obtained transparent nanocomposite films were optically characterized using UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. Thermal stability of polymer matrix was improved upon incorporation of small amount of silver nanoparticles. Also, silver nanoparticles have pronounced effect on thermo-oxidative stability of PMMA matrix. The glass transition temperatures of nanocomposites are lower compared to the pure polymer.     

Revealing the Nano‐Level Molecular Packing in Chitosan–NiO Nanocomposite by Using Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy and Small‐Angle X‐ray Scattering

Chitosan–NiO nanocomposite (CNC) is shown to be a potential dielectric material with promising properties. CNCs containing NiO nanoparticles (0.2, 0.6, 1, 2, 5 wt %) are prepared through chemical methods. The inclusion of NiO nanoparticles in the chitosan matrix is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction. The morphology of the NiO nanoparticles and the nanocomposites is investigated by transmission electron microscopy and SEM, respectively. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and the coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB) technique are used to quantify the free volume and molecular packing in the nanocomposites. The triplet‐state positronium lifetime and the corresponding intensity show the changes in nanohole size, density, and size distribution as a function of NiO loading. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering indicates that the NiO aggregates are identical in all the CNCs. The momentum density distribution obtained from CDB measurements excludes the possibility of a contribution of vacant spaces (pores) available in NiO aggregates to the free volume of nanocomposites upon determination by using PALS. The results show systematic variation in free‐volume properties and nano‐level molecular packing as a function of NiO loading, which is presumed to play a vital role in determining the various properties of the nanocomposites.     

聚吡咯(PPY)/聚己内酰胺(Nylon 6)——导电复合材料的研究

本文用电化学氧化聚合的方法制备出了既具有优良的导电性能又具有良好机械性能的聚吡咯(PPY)/聚己内酰胺(Nylon 6)的复合材料,该复合材料的导电率可达119s/cm,并对聚吡咯/聚己内酰胺导电复合材料进行了扫描电子显微镜、电导率及机械性能的测试及表征。     

Synthesis and properties of silver and gold nanocomposites in poly-1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole matrix

Novel multifunctional hybrid nanocomposites with silver and gold nanoparticles stabilized by original polymer matrix based on poly-1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole were synthesized and studied using UV and IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The obtained nanocomposites comprise silver or gold nanoparticles of spherical and elliptical shape with size 3–20 nm and 1–10 nm, respectively.     

Nanobiocomposites of Pharmacophoric Iron and Bismuth Oxides with Arabinogalactan Matrix

Water-soluble nanocomposites with narrow distribution of nanoparticles of pharmacophore bismuth and iron oxides have been obtained. The biopolymer matrix of the arabinogalactan polysaccharide has exhibited strong stabilizing properties with respect to transition metal oxides. The size of the spherical metal oxide nanoparticles has been found of 5–7 nm as per transmission electron microscopy. The exclusion liquid chromatography data have revealed that the change in the molecular mass parameters of arabinogalactan is due to the combined processes of self-assembly of nanocomposites and alkaline decomposition.     

Structure of mono- and bimetallic heterogeneous catalysts based on noble metals obtained by means of fluid technology and metal-vapor synthesis

Monometallic nanocomposites are obtained with the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (fluid technique) and metal-vapor synthesis (MVS), while bimetallic nanocomposites of Pt and Au noble metals and ??-Al₂O₃ oxide matrix are synthesized by a combination of these two methods. The structures, concentrations, and chemical states of metal atoms in composites are studied by means of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transparent electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray fluorescent analysis (XFA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The neutral state of metal atoms in clusters is shown by XPS and their size distribution is found according to SAXS; as is shown, it is determined by the pore sizes of the oxide matrices and lies in the range of 1 to 50 nm. The obtained composites manifest themselves as effective catalysts in the oxidation of CO to CO₂.     

High-resolution electron microscopy of montmorillonite and montmorillonite/epoxy nanocomposites

With the use of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy the structure and morphology of montmorillonite (MMT), a material of current interest for use in polymer nanocomposites, was characterized. Using both imaging theory and experiment, the procedures needed to generate lattice images from MMT were established. These procedures involve careful control of the microscope's objective lens defocus to maximize contrast from features of a certain size, as well as limiting the total dose of electrons received by the sample. Direct images of the MMT lattice were obtained from neat Na+ MMT, organically modified MMT, and organically modified MMT/epoxy nanocomposites. The degree of crystallinity and turbostratic disorder were characterized using electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Also, the extent of the MMT sheets to bend when processed into an epoxy matrix was directly visualized. A minimum radius of curvature tolerable for a single MMT sheet during bending deformation was estimated to be 15 nm, and from this value a critical failure strain of 0.033 was calculated. HREM can be used to improve the understanding of the structure of polymer nanocomposites at the nanometer-length scale.     

Structural and chemical modification of polycaprolactam with a composite based on a polyfluorinated telomeric alcohol

The influence exerted on the supramolecular structure and properties of polycaprolactam by new composites based on 1,1,5-trihydroperfluoro-1-pentanol immobilized on montmorillonite support, introduced into the polymer melt, was studied. As found by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, the layered structure of the fluorinated organoclay undergoes delamination in the bulk of the polymer matrix with the formation of an exfoliated nanocomposite. The modifier exerts a complex effect on the caprolactam structure, consisting in changes in the size of supramolecular formations and redistribution of the fraction of α- and γ-crystalline forms, which favors enhancement of the thermal oxidation resistance of the material.     

Sonochemical intercalation of preformed gold nanoparticles into multilayered clays

Multilayered Na (+)-montmorillonite clays intercalated with Au nanoparticles were synthesized by direct ultrasonic impregnation of preformed gold colloid into the clay matrix. The sonicated composite product then consists of Au nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed in the clay. The resulting clay/nano-Au composite was calcined at 800 degrees C and characterized by BET surface area analysis, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared measurements. Nearly spherical-shaped gold nanoparticles, with a size of 6 +/- 0.5 nm, are located in the pores of clay calcined at 800 degrees C. Their nanocomposites are thermally stable as was shown by thermogravimetric analysis. No aggregation of the gold nanoparticles was observed during calcination. The proposed ultrasonic intercalation approach is an universal one and can be employed for synthesis of catalytically active metal-clay nanocomposites stable at high temperatures with high dispersability of the metal nanoparticles in the clay matrix.     

Effects of pH on mechanical and morphological studies of silica filled polyvinyl chloride-50% epoxidized natural rubber (PVC-ENR50) nanocomposite

Effects of pH on mechanical properties as well as morphological studies of sol–gel derived in situ silica in polyvinyl chloride-50% epoxidized natural rubber (PVC-ENR50) nanocomposites are reported. In particular, a range of acid concentrations was investigated. These nanocomposites were prepared by solution casting technique and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used as the silica precursor. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized using tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tensile test indicated that the highest mechanical strength was at 30% TEOS added for the nanocomposite prepared at pH 2.0. At pH 1.0 and 1.5 the maximum tensile strength reading was at 20% TEOS added with value of 24.3 and 24.5 MPa, respectively. SEM and TEM revealed the dispersion of silica particles in the polymer matrix. For nanocomposites prepared at pH 1.0 and 1.5, the silica particles were finely dispersed with the average size of 60 nm until 20% TEOS added. Meanwhile for nanocomposite prepared at pH 2.0, silica particles were homogenously distributed in the polymer matrix with average diameter of 30 nm until 30% TEOS and agglomerated after 30% TEOS loading.     

Melting of polycaprolactam

Highly crystalline polycaprolactam was prepared by zone polymerization of ε-caprolactam. Folded-chain crystallized and annealed, melt-crystallized, and solution-crystallized polycaprolactam was produced from commercial polycaprolactam. All samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, density measurement, and heat of fusion measurement. The determination of the time-dependent melting by DTA and scanning calorimetry revealed that all the different morphologies show different melting behavior. Zone-polymerized polycaprolactam superheats, and the other morphologies reorganize on heating to different degrees. Densities and heat of fusion vary in the same manner—from highest to lowest—in the order: zone-polymerized, solution-crystallized, annealed, and melt-crystallized. An estimate of heat of fusion, equilibrium melting point, and surface free energy was obtained from the melting points.     

Radiation synthesis of silver nanostructures in cotton matrix

Cotton is one of the most popular natural fibres, composed mainly of cellulose, which finds a wide range of applications in paper, textile and health care products industry. Researchers have focused their interest on the synthesis of cotton nanocomposites, which enhances its mechanical, thermal and antimicrobial properties by the incorporation of various nanoparticles into the cotton matrix. Silver is one of the most popular antimicrobial agents with a wide spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal activity that results from a complex mechanism of its interactions with the cells of harmful microorganism. In this work, electron beam radiation was applied to synthesise silver nanostructures in cotton fibres. Investigations of the influence of the initial silver salt concentration on the size and distribution of the obtained silver nanostructures were carried out. A detailed characterisation of these nanocomposites with SEM-BSE and EDS methods was performed. TGA and DSC analyses were performed to assess the influence of different size silver nanoparticles and the effect of electron beam irradiation on the thermal properties of cotton fibres. A microbiological investigation to determine the antibacterial activity of Ag-cotton nanocomposites was carried out.     

电化学合成吡咯与己内酰胺导电共聚物

采用恒电位方法实现了吡咯与己内酰胺在导电玻璃电极上的直接电化学共聚,聚合反应在含有0.1mol/L吡咯和1.5 mol/L己内酰胺的硝基甲烷电解质溶液中进行,外加电位控制在1.2 V以上.聚合产物中聚吡咯与聚己内酰胺链段的组成可通过调节合成电位加以控制.共聚物的形貌、结构与性质采用扫描电子显微镜、热重分析、红外光谱等手...     

凹凸棒黏土-SnO2-TiO2复合材料的制备及其光催化性能

以凹凸棒黏土为基体,通过原位溶胶-凝胶包覆工艺,将SnO2-TiO2复合氧化物负载于凹凸棒黏土表面制备凹凸棒黏土复合光催化剂(Att-SnO2-TiO2)。采用XRD、BET、TEM等分析测试技术对产物进行了表征。结果表明,SnO2-TiO2复合氧化物均匀地负载于凹凸棒黏土表面,其平均粒径约为10 nm;经过复合氧化物负载改性后,凹凸棒黏土的表面形貌得到明显改善,产物的包覆效果好、比表面大。以光催化降解甲基橙为探针,研究了凹凸棒黏土复合光催化剂的光催化性能。结果表明,凹凸棒黏土复合光催化剂显示出优异的光催化性能,其光催化活性顺序为Att-SnO2-TiO2>Att-SnO2>Att-TiO2。以性能最佳的Att-SnO2-TiO2为催化剂光降解甲基橙30min后,甲基橙的降解率达99%。实验表明,Att-SnO2-TiO2复合光催化剂可重复利用。     

The disorderly exfoliated LDHs/PMMA nanocomposites synthesized by in situ bulk polymerization: The effects of LDH-U on thermal and mechanical properties

The disorderly exfoliated layered double hydroxides/poly(methyl methacrylate) (LDHs/PMMA) nanocomposites were obtained in a two-stage process by the in situ bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of 10-undecenoate intercalated LDH (LDH-U). The dispersed behavior of the LDH-U in the PMMA matrix was identified by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV/visible transmission spectroscopy. All these nanocomposites showed significantly enhancement of glass transition temperature (T_g) and the decomposition temperatures compared to pristine PMMA, as identified in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis. The tensile modulus of these nanocomposites was also enhanced by incorporating the LDH-U into the PMMA matrix and increased as the amount of LDH-U increased. According to the analytical method of Ozawa-Flynn, the degradation activation energies of these nanocomposites are higher than that of pristine PMMA.     

Polyamide nanocomposites

Polyamides are thermoplastic polymers mainly used for producing synthetic fibers. Only about 10% of polyamides are used for plastics production. The market is shared roughly equally between polyamide 6 (polycaprolactam) and polyamide 66 {poly (hexamethyleneadipamide)}. More recently, the research on polyamides led to their nanocomposites. These new hybrid polyamides are reinforced with nanofillers able to increase their main properties and also bring some new interesting characteristics. This paper deals with nanocomposites made of various polyamides and nanofillers; they find application in many engineering fields.     

Layered nanoparticles modified by chain end functional PE and their nanocomposites with PE

Layered materials (MMT,LDH) were successfully modified by chain end functionalized polyethylene via an ion exchange method.The samples were characterized by using elemental analysis,Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum,X-ray diffraction (XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM),transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).The XRD results demonstrated that MMT was successfully exfoliated with the disappearance of [001] peak.For the LDH,the peak [003] moved to a low angle and greatly weakened,indicating that LDH was successfully functionalized and completely intercalated or exfoliated.HDPE/layered nanocomposites were obtained between HDPE and different content of functional layered materials.The SEM and TEM results of nanocomposites showed the layered materials were well dispersed in the HDPE matrix,with a particle size of 100-200 nm.     

Synthesis and characterization of silver polymer nanocomposites of 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole with acrylonitrile

Novel organic-inorganic nanocomposites were synthesized by chemical reduction of silver ions from silver acetate in DMSO and DMF solutions in the presence of the stabilizing copolymer of 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole-acrylonitrile. The solvents DMSO and DMF can act as efficient reducing agents for silver ions, which makes it possible to carry out the reaction under mild conditions and simplify procedures of nanocomposite isolation. The structure and properties of the starting copolymer and related nanocomposites were characterized by UV, IR, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, as well as transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetry. The prepared polymer nanocomposites contain 6.8–7.2% silver in the form of nanoparticles with a size of 2–20 nm uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix. The nanocomposites are readily soluble in DMSO and DMF and do not decompose on heating to 260 °C.     

Monodispersity and ordering of semiconductor quantum dots synthesised in ionic liquid crystalline phase of cadmium alkanoates

Structural and optical properties of cadmium alkanoates nanocomposites with cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) have been studied by using various techniques: small angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence. QDs are chemically synthesised in thermotropic ionic liquid crystalline (ILC) phase of cadmium alkanoates that have smectic-type ordering and are used as nanoreactors. Anisotropic glassy nanocomposites are obtained by rapid cooling the thermotropic ILC nanocomposites to the room temperature. For synthesis of CdS QDs are used cadmium capronate matrix or cadmium octanoate matrix and their binary mixture. Our results show that in the new cadmium alkanoates matrices, the CdS QDs have a small dispersion of their sizes, their shape is nearly spherical, they are stable over time and they are ordered in a layered smectic A matrix. QDs in cadmium octanoate and in cadmium capronate matrices have the dominant characteristic sizes of 2.7 and 2.8 nm, respectively. In the binary mixture, the QDs have two dominant characteristic sizes of 2.7 and 3.6 nm. The glassy nanocomposites show spectra both of absorption and of photoluminescence in near-ultraviolet and blue visible spectral range.     

In‐situ thermal reduction and effective reinforcement of graphene nanosheet/poly (ethylene glycol)/poly (lactic acid) nanocomposites

This study aims to achieve a molecule‐level dispersion of graphene nanosheets (GNSs) and a maximum interfacial interaction between GNSs and a polymer matrix. GNS‐reinforced poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites are obtained by a facile and environment‐friendly preparation method. Graphite oxide and GNSs are characterized by atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the state of dispersion of the GNS in the PEG/PLA matrix is distribution. The tensile strength and Young's modulus increases by 45% and 188%, respectively, with the addition of 4.0 wt% GNSs. The thermal stability of the GNS‐based nanocomposites also improves. Differential scanning calorimetry indicates that GNSs have no remarkable effect on the crystallinity of the nanocomposites. The effective reinforcement of the nanocomposites is mainly attributed to the highly strong molecular‐level dispersion of the GNSs in the polymer matrix. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.