Inorganic core/organic shell hybrid nanoparticles: Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Core/shell molecular particles, promising components of polymer nanocomposites, were synthesized by condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in acetic acid at elevated temperature with subsequent blocking of reactive SiOH groups by trimethylsiloxy groups. Particle diameters ranged from 1 to 10 nm depending on the condensation time until the blocking agent was added. The solubilities of the nanocomposites in THF, toluene, hexane, and other organic solvents made it possible to characterize them by the following physicochemical methods: gel permeation chromatography (GPC), viscometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and monolayer compression at the water-air interface. As a result, the particles were found to have compact spherical shapes. The physical state of the particles varied from viscous flow to crystallike depending on the sizes and hardness of their silica cores.