Nano Express
Controllable fabrication of PS/Ag core-shell-shaped nanostructures
1 China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Functional Nanomaterials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
2 College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
3 Physics Department, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
4 ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
5 State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
Nanoscale Research Letters 2012, 7:580 doi:10.1186/1556-276X-7-580
Published: 23 October 2012Abstract
In this paper, based on the previous steps, a facile in situ reduction method was developed to controllably prepare polystyrene/Ag (PS/Ag) core-shell-shaped nanostructures. The crucial procedure includes surface treatment of polystyrene core particles by cationic polyelectrolyte polyethyleneimine, in situ formation of Ag nanoparticles, and immobilization of the Ag nanoparticles onto the surface of the polystyrene colloids via functional group NH from the polyethyleneimine. The experimental parameters, such as the reaction temperature, the reaction time, and the silver precursors were optimized for improvement of dispersion and Ag coat coverage of the core-shell-shaped nanostructures. Ultimately, the optimum parameters were obtained through a series of experiments, and well-dispersed, uniformly coated PS/Ag core-shell-shaped nanostructures were successfully fabricated. The formation mechanism of the PS/Ag core-shell-shaped nanostructures was also explained.
