In Situ Formation of a Uniform Distribution of Silver Nanoparticles in PVDF: Kinetics of Formation and Resulting Properties

Abstract

Hybrid organic/silver nanoparticle thermoplastic films have been prepared using a single step process where the silver nanoparticles were formed during a cure cycle applied to the film. Figure 1 is a TEM demonstrating the ability of our technique to produce silver nanoparticles in the semi‐crystalline polymer Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). The current laboratory focus is on characterizing kinetics and particularly the diameter growth and inter‐particle distance as a function of time and temperature using the techniques of small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Using the Beaucage model, the SAXS data demonstrates that the particle size reaches equilibrium after approximately 70 minutes of curing at 240 °C. This result is also observed in the XRD results where the half width of the diffraction peaks becomes smaller quickly during the initial hour. In a parallel experiment using DSC, the exothermic heat flow increases rapidly during the first hour but does not reach completion until almost 150 minutes.

Preparation and electroactive phase adjustment of Ag-doped poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films

“…33,34 AgNPs have been widely studied as additives because of their high electrical and thermal conductivity, excellent catalytic activity in oxidation and reduction systems, effective anti-bacterial/anti-fouling action, and relatively low cost. [35][36][37][38] However, the piezoelectric characteristics of AgNP/PVDF composite lms depend on their electroactive phase composition, which is difficult to control using current manufacturing methods.…”

Physico-Mechanical, Dielectric, and Piezoelectric Properties of PVDF Electrospun Mats Containing Silver Nanoparticles

“…Methods include solution casting of silver nanowires (AgNWs) [18] or Ag@TiO2 core@shell nanoparticles [19], surface immobilization in presence of poly(acrylic acid) [20], and exothermic decomposition of silver trifluoroacetate at 240 °C in molten PVDF [21]. Electrons -rich AgNPs interact with fluorine atoms in the PVDF forcing its chains to be in the β-conformation, thus increasing the β-phase content.…”

Preparation and characterization of antibacterial poly(vinylidene fluoride)-silver composites

“…Homogenous solutions containing various amounts of PVDF (15,20, and 25 wt.%) and different amounts of silver nitrate (1, 5 and 10 wt.%) were prepared using DMF as solvent at room temperature. The solutions changed from transparent to dark yellow after aging for 20 h at 60 C with stirring, which means the formation of silver nanoparticles via in-situ reduction of silver nitrate by DMF.…”

“…Park et al 14 has prepared nanofibers using electrospinning of a mixture solution of nylon 6 and silver nanoparticles. Compton et al 15 have obtained a PVDF-silver composite film with uniform distribution of silver particles by annealing PVDF film with a precursor silver salt at high temperature. However, in the present study, a PVDF-Ag composite film was prepared by in-situ reduction of silver nitrate using N, N-dimethylformamide as solvent and reductant simultaneously.…”