A strategy for the controlled distribution of alkyl-coated nanoparticles in an epoxy network

I.A.ZUCCHI; C. E. HOPPE; M. J. GALANTE; R. J. J. WILLIAMS; J. RIVAS; M. A. LÓPEZ-QUINTELA

Londres (Inglaterra)

Congreso; MC8: Advancing Materials by Chemical Design (RSC Meeting); 2007

The rational design of advanced nanoparticle/polymer composites strongly relies on the possibility of controlling the distribution of the nanofiller in the polymer matrix. In this sense, one of the greatest challenges to face is to avoid the typical nonuniform particle aggregation process that takes place when polymers and nanoparticles (NPs) are mixed. The excellent mechanical, dielectric and chemical properties of epoxy resins make them ideal polymer hosts. However, most of the well-established techniques conducting to the synthesis of high quality NPs produce alkyl-chains coated colloids, very incompatible with epoxy networks and with most of common polymers. Attempts to improve the dispersion of these NPs in polymers commonly involve the replacement of the alkyl coating by a more polymer-affine ligand. In this work we propose a new strategy for the dispersion of as-synthesized alkyl-coated nanoparticles in an epoxy network. The approach is based on the double role of a linear copolymer used both, as stabiliser of the NPs and soluble modifier of the epoxy system.