Fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane composites with nickel nanoparticle and nanowire fillers and study of their mechanical and magnetic properties

Abstract

This work presents the fabrication and characterization of mechanical and magnetic properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites with nickel nanoparticles and nanowires as fillers. To enhance filler dispersion and polymer-filler interface bonding, allyltrimethoxysilane was used for nanofiller coating. Sample preparation was carried out by speed mixing and curing at 100 °C. Nanowire-PDMS composites were exposed to magnetic field prior to full curing in order to facilitate nanowire alignment. Composites with concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 vol % of nanoparticles and 5 vol % of nanowires were prepared and tested. An increase in elastic modulus of ∼30% was observed for composites with 5 vol % nanoparticle concentration. A much higher increase in elastic modulus, of ∼80%, was observed for nanowire-based composites of same concentration. The measured elastic modulus agrees well with predictions that assume strong interface bonding between the polymer and the filler. Magnetic anisotropy and higher remanent magnetization and coercivity are observed for the nanowire composite. These multifunctional materials could have a wide range of applications, from active structural components to sensing elements in macro- and particularly microsystem applications.