Plasmonically active nanoparticles, like gold and silver, are one of the most studied classes of nanomaterials due to their unique optical properties. The optical properties can be tuned through size and shape control of the nanoparticles through a broad array of synthetic approaches. The tunable nature of the optical properties make them promising candidates in a variety of applications, such as increasing the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells. However, the majority of synthetic approaches for gold and silver nanoparticles are aqueous based making them incompatible with most polymer components used in advanced technologies. Our work is focused on generating stable dispersions of nanoparticles in polymers that do not interact strongly with the surface of the nanoparticle. Previous research from our group has suggested that polymers with a lower glass transition temperature (T<sub>g</sub>), results in a need for more polymer molecules per nanoparticle to obtain a polymer film with evenly dispersed gold nanoparticles. Specifically, we have looked at polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polyvinylacetate (PVAc) which despite structural similarities, these two polymers differ significantly in their ability to stabilize the nanoparticles in solution, attributed to a depletion stabilization mechanism dependent on establishing an entropic equilibrium. Our current data highlights stability at lower ratios than previously reported to achieve plasmonically active PMMA or PVAc polymer films in the gold system, as well as extending this work into a silver nanoparticle system. By increasing the oxophilicity of our nanoparticles with the use of silver, we are able to achieve stable dispersions at lower ratios than seen with gold, while retaining the T<sub>g</sub> trend) with the oxygen rich polymers in the composites.

Roles of nanoparticle oxophilicity and polymer glass transition temperature in predicting nanoparticle-polymer film stability

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.