Spherical poly(acrylic acid) brushes (SPBs) were synthesized by photo-emulsion polymerization. Using them as nanoreactors, the Ag+ ions were concentrated as counterions within the SPBs layer and reduced by NaBH4 to narrowly dispersed silver nano-particles (Ag-NPs) with an average diameter 2.8 nm as determined by TEM. The Ag-NPs immobilized on SPBs showed high catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol as monitored by the UV-vis spectrophotometer. All the data showed that the anionic SPBs are ideal nanoreactors for the preparation of Ag-NPs.

Generation of silver nanoparticles in spherical polyelectrolyte brush nanoreactors

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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