1 research outputs found
Encapsulation of Single Nanoparticle in Fast-Evaporating Micro-droplets Prevents Particle Agglomeration in Nanocomposites
This work describes
the use of fast-evaporating micro-droplets to finely disperse nanoparticles
(NPs) in a polymer matrix for the fabrication of nanocomposites. Agglomeration
of particles is a key obstacle for broad applications of nanocomposites.
The classical approach to ensure the dispersibility of NPs is to modify
the surface chemistry of NPs with ligands. The surface properties
of NPs are inevitably altered, however. To overcome the trade-off
between dispersibility and surface-functionality of NPs, we develop
a new approach by dispersing NPs in a volatile solvent, followed by
mixing with uncured polymer precursors to form micro-droplet emulsions.
Most of these micro-droplets contain no more than one NP per drop,
and they evaporate rapidly to prevent the agglomeration of NPs during
the polymer curing process. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate
the design and fabrication of TiO<sub>2</sub> NP@ÂPDMS nanocomposites
for solar fuel generation reactions with high photocatalytic efficiency
and recyclability arising from the fine dispersion of TiO<sub>2</sub>. Our simple method eliminates the need for surface functionalization
of NPs. Our approach is applicable to prepare nanocomposites comprising
a wide range of polymers embedded with NPs of different composition,
sizes, and shapes. It has the potential for creating nanocomposites
with novel functions