Photocrosslinkable acid urethane dimethacrylates from renewable natural oil and their use in the design of silver/gold polymeric nanocomposites

Comparative Study on the Influence of Noble Metal Nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pd) on the Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO NPs Embedded in Renewable Castor Oil Polymer Matrices

Hybrid polymeric materials, due to the unique combination of properties that can be obtained by the convenient variation of organic and inorganic components, represent an attractive alternative for many applications, especially photocatalysis. Herein, we report the preparation of nanocomposite films containing functionalized ZnO nanoparticles, as well as in situ photogenerated noble metal nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pd), for the achieving of materials with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light. The flexible free-standing nanocomposite films were synthesized by photopolymerization of a monomer mixture (silane castor oil urethane dimethacrylate and polypropylene oxide urethane dimethacrylate) in the presence of a Irgacure 819 photoinitiator. The efficiency of ZnO NPs functionalization was established by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis, while the polymer composites were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to evidence the formation, size and distribution of the nanoparticles inside the photocrosslinked matrix. To establish the photocatalytic capacity of nanocomposite films, the decomposition of various pollutants (methyl orange, phenol, metronidazole) was monitored under visible light irradiation, the best results being obtained for Au/ZnO film. Also, the advantage of immobilizing the catalysts in a polymeric support and its recycling ability without a significant decrease in photocatalytic efficiency was analysed.

Organophilic graphene nanosheets as a promising nanofiller for bio-based polyurethane nanocomposites: investigation of the thermal, barrier and mechanical properties

The present study focuses on the design of new nanocomposite films using bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as a polymer matrix and long chain amine functionalized reduced graphene oxide (G-ODA) as a nanofiller.

Photoresponsive Polymeric Reversible Nanoparticles via Self-Assembly of Reactive ABA Triblock Copolymers and Their Transformation to Permanent Nanostructures

Azobenzene-functionalized ABA triblock copolymers with controlled molecular weights are prepared first via a sequential ring-opening metathesis polymerization and acyclic diene metathesis polymerization in one-pot, which are readily converted, by a facile esterification, to the modified ABA triblock copolymers. Then, these reactive triblock copolymers can spontaneously self-assemble in a selective solvent to form reproducible and reversible polymeric core-shell nanoparticles. Finally, the stable and permanent shell-crosslinked nanoparticles are obtained by an intramolecular crosslinking reaction in dilute solution under UV light irradiation. These as-prepared polymeric nanoparticles and their precursor incorporating azobenzene chromophores exhibit distinct photoresponsive performance and morphological variation.

Tuning the size and the photocatalytic performance of gold nanoparticles in situ generated in photopolymerizable glycomonomers

Polymer nanocomposites containing Au NPs in situ photogenerated during the UV-curing process were prepared starting from methacrylated glycomonomers with α-d-glucofuranose or d-mannitol structural units, other mono(di)methacrylates and AuCl₃.