ja031523k_si_001.pdf (141.49 kB)
Polymer Microgels: Reactors for Semiconductor, Metal, and Magnetic Nanoparticles
journal contribution
posted on 2004-06-30, 00:00 authored by Jiguang Zhang, Shengqing Xu, Eugenia KumachevaWe report a strategy for the production of materials with structural hierarchy. The approach
employs polymer microgels as templates for the synthesis of semiconductor, metal, or magnetic
nanoparticles (NPs). We show that NPs with predetermined dimensions and size-dependent properties
can be synthesized by using a very delicate balance between the reaction conditions, the composition and
the structure of microgel templates, and the concentration of NPs in the microgel. Postheat treatment of
microgels doped with semiconductor nanoparticles reduces NP polydispersity and allows control of their
photoluminescence. Microgel templates are particularly beneficial in the synthesis of polymer microspheres
heavily loaded with monodisperse superparamagnetic Fe3O4 NPs. Hybrid submicrometer-size microgels
have promising potential applications in photonics, catalysis, and separation technologies.