Enhanced degree of polymerization of methacrylate and epoxy resinsby plasmonic heating of embedded silver nanoparticles

ASMUSSEN SILVANA V.; ARENAS GUSTAVO F.; VALLO CLAUDIA I.

PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 88 p. 220 - 227

0300-9440

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized in situ in light-cured methacrylate and epoxy resins. TheUV-vis spectra of the colloidal suspensions displayed an intense surface plasmon resonance band inthe wavelength range 350-550 nm with an absorption peak at 415 nm. Suspensions containing different amounts of Ag NPs were photopolymerized by UV irradiation. Cylindrical specimens of the resultingnanocomposites (10-mm diameter × 1-mm thickness) were irradiated with a 420-nm LED source while the temperature evolution was monitored. The heat released by the Ag NPs under irradiation at theplasmon-resonant wavelength increases the temperature of the surrounding medium. The temperature reached in a methacrylate-based nanocomposite containing 0.03 wt% Ag NPs was 100ºC after 250 s irradiation. This increases the mobility of the reaction environment and, consequently, induces the polymerization of the unreacted monomer. Moreover, the degree of polymerization of films prepared froman epoxy resin containing 0.02 wt% Ag NPs was 35%, and then increased up to 75% after 10 min irradiation at 420 nm. In practice, the post-curing of partially cured polymers is commonly carried out by thermaltreatments. Results obtained in this study show that the use of a small amount of Ag NPs, as controlled sources of heat under light irradiation, is an attractive strategy to post cure methacrylate and epoxy resinsin the absence of external heating.