In Situ Synthesis of Polymer Embedded Silver Nanoparticles via Photopolymerization

Abstract

Photocured polymeric films are a promising candidate for the realization of flexible electronics, due to their easy processability, low cost, and availability. In this work, electrically conductive UV‐cured films have been prepared by irradiating an acrylic difunctional monomer in the presence of silver nitrate, pyrrole, and a photoinitiator. Homogeneously dispersed silver nanoparticles (size range 50–80 nm) embedded by polypyrrole formed throughout the acrylic matrix. Interestingly, the electrical conductivity of the acrylic films increased a hundred times after the formation of the Ag‐polypyrrole nanoparticles.Evaluation of the irradiation process was conducted by UV–Vis spectroscopy using model systems where the acrylic monomer was substituted by a solvent. It has been shown that as a function of composition and irradiation time there is a simultaneous reduction of silver nitrate and pyrrole polymerization forming silver nanoparticles covered by the conductive polymer.