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The present study reports on a versatile method of the preparation of polystyrene−ZnO composite particles with core−shell or raspberry-like morphology. SEM analysis revealed that ZnO has been deposited on the surface of functionalized polystyrene beads as either a continuous thin layer or small clusters, depending on the reaction parameters. We propose that the interaction between ZnO nanoparticles and β-diketone groups, present on the surface of polystyrene beads, is the driving force for the preparation of these composite particles. IR spectroscopy was used to prove the interaction between ZnO nanoparticles and β-diketone groups. X-ray diffraction of the PS/ZnO particles revealed diffraction peaks corresponding to wurtzite ZnO crystalline phase. TGA results demonstrated that the ZnO contents of composite particles can be varied by changing the concentration of Zn(Ac)2·2H2O salt prior to reaction. The composite particles produced are envisioned to have applications as the building blocks for fabrication of sensors, transducers, actuators, UV detectors, and optoelectronic devices.

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A key problem with nanomaterials is the difficulty of controlling the dispersion of nanoparticles inside an organic medium. To overcome this problem, functionalization of the nanoparticle surface is required. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) brushes were grown on the surface of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles with atom transfer radical polymerization and a grafting‐from approach. Modified magnetic nanoparticles with a graft density of 0.1 PMMA chains/nm2 were obtained. Cu(II), used as a deactivating complex, allowed good control of the polymerization along with a narrow polydispersity of the polymer chains. The functionalized magnetic nanoparticles were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, gel permeation chromatography, and atomic force microscopy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 925–932, 2007

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