Synthesis and microstructure investigation of heterogeneous metal-plasma polymer Ag/HMDSO nanoparticles

Metal-polymer nanocomposites have gained increasing attention due to the wide potential applications field. Synthesis of nanoparticles from the gas phase is an intensively studied alternative to the chemical preparation methods. We present a one-step procedure that combines magnetron-based gas aggregation cluster source of silver nanoparticles and simultaneous plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO). The key parameter of the process, significantly influencing the morphology and microstructure of studied nanoparticles, was found to be the amount of HMDSO added to the deposition chamber as witnessed by small angle X-ray scattering and X-ray diffraction methods combined with transmission electron microscopy and UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The presence of HMDSO in the chamber leads to changes in the size distribution and also in the architecture of prepared nanoparticles. The increasing amount of HMDSO induces the formation of individual core-shell nanoparticles, chains of core-shell nanoparticles, and for the highest concentration of HMDSO, the synthesis of multi-core-shell nanoparticles. The size of crystallites in the silver cores of nanoparticles decreases with addition of HMDSO, which prevents further aggregation.     

Plasma Jet and Dielectric Barrier Discharge Treatment of Wheat Seeds

Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing - Low-temperature plasma treatment of wheat seeds was performed by a plasma jet and dielectric barrier discharge, both at atmospheric pressure. The influence...     

Nucleation and Growth of Magnetron-Sputtered Ag Nanoparticles as Witnessed by Time-Resolved Small Angle X-Ray Scattering

Kinetic aspects of the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by magnetron sputtering are studied by in situ and time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Part of the NPs are found to become confined within a capture zone at 1–10 mm from the surface of the target and circumscribed by the plasma ring. Three regimes of the NP growth are identified: 1) early growth at which the average NP diameter rapidly increases to 90 nm; 2) cycling instabilities at which the SAXS signal periodically fluctuates either due to expelling of large NPs from the capture zone or due to the axial rotation of the NP cloud; and 3) steady-state synthesis at which stable synthesis of the NPs is achieved. The NP confinement within the capture zone is driven by the balance of forces, the electrostatic force being dominant. On reaching the critical size, large NPs acquire an excessive charge and become expelled from the capture zone via the electrostatic interactions. As a result, significant NP deposits are formed on the inner walls of the aggregation chamber as well as in the central area of the target.