Abstract
Typically, polymeric composites containing nanoparticles are realized by incorporating pre-made nanoparticles into a polymer matrix by using blending solvent or by the reduction of metal salt dispersed in the polymeric matrix. Generally, the production of pre-made Au NPs occurs in liquids with two-step processes: producing the gold nanoparticles first and then adding them to the liquid polymer. A reproducible method to synthetize Au nanoparticles (NPs) into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) without any external reducing or stabilizing agent is a challenge. In this paper, a single-step method is proposed to synthetize nanoparticles (NPs) and at the same time to realize reproducible porous and bulk composites using laser ablation in liquid. With this single-step process, the gold nanoparticles are therefore produced directly in the liquid polymer. The optical properties of the suspensions of AuNPs in distilled water and in the curing agent have been analyzed by the UV-VIS spectroscopy, employed in the transmission mode, and compared with those of the pure curing agent. The electrical dc conductivity of the porous PDMS/Au NPs nanocomposites has been evaluated by the I–V characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis have monitored the composition and morphology of the so-obtained composites and the size of the fabricated Au nanoparticles. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to determine the roughness of the bulk PDMS and its Au NP composites.
Highlights
Introduction iationsRecently, elastomer composites are emerging as leading solutions for fabricating flexible and stretchable electrically conductive materials, promising candidates for the wearable electronics and sensors.Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an organosilicon polymer characterized by a low glass transition temperature Tg, biocompatibility, good flexibility, good resistance to thermal and oxidative stability, low cost, and chemical inertness
AuNPsby by laser laser ablation, ablation, water water and and curing curing agent agent were were individually individually used as liquid
When the laser is focused on the surface of the solid target, placed in the liquid medium, a plasma plume is generated at the liquid-solid interface
Summary
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an organosilicon polymer characterized by a low glass transition temperature Tg , biocompatibility, good flexibility, good resistance to thermal and oxidative stability (over degradation), low cost, and chemical inertness. PDMS is being extensively investigated to develop biomedical micro or nano devices for biosensing platforms [1], cell culture substrates [2], and biomimetic devices [3]. PDMS exhibits difficulty of surface wetting with aqueous solvents because its surface is hydrophobic [4]. In PDMS, the CH3 groups can lead to the fixation of liquid molecules and gases as fluorescent dyes [5] and organic solvents [6]. To improve the wettability of PDMS, Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
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