Fabrication of poly(FOMA-b-EO)/silver nanocomposite hybrid films

A facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles (with a diameter of 5 nm)/polymer hybrid films was studied through auto-reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) in poly(1H,1H-dihydroperfluorooctyl methacrylate-b-ethylene oxide) (poly(FOMA(10k)-b-EO(10k micellar thin films at ambient temperature. Silver nanoparticles well dispersed in the block copolymeric micellar films were prepared by rendering the silver precursor AgNO3 to interact favorably with PEO blocks. With annealing of the micellar film containing AgNO3 in supercritical CO2, the domains and continuous phase of the micellar film morphology were inverted and silver nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm were produced in PEO domains. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles in the copolymeric films was confirmed by transmission electron microscope and UV-visible spectrophotometric analysis.