Polymer-metal nanocomposite thin films: in situ fabrication and applications

Abstract

Polymer - metal nanocomposites are versatile materials which combine the unique characteristics of the components as well as manifest mutualistic effects. In situ generation of the nanoparticles inside a solid polymer film is a convenient and attractive route to the fabrication of metal nanoparticle - embedded polymer thin films. This presentation will provide an overview of the methodology involved in a simple protocol that we have developed for the fabrication of noble metal nanostructures inside polymer thin films, using aqueous medium for the synthesis and deploying the polymer itself as the reducing as well as stabilizing agent. The in situ growth of metal nanoparticles inside polymer films provides a unique opportunity to generate novel nanomaterials as well as to monitor the growth process in real time. A variety of techniques that have been exploited to characterize the precursor to product transformation inside the polymer film will be reviewed. The control provided by the in situ fabrication route on the size, shape and distribution of the nanostructures, and application of the nanocomposite thin films in a wide range of areas including nonlinear optics, catalysis, sensing and biology, illustrate the versatility of these materials.