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Hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanostructures from nano-ZnO seeded in P(MMA-co-BA) matrix
Author(s)
Date Issued
November 1, 2011
Type
Article
Abstract
Nano-ZnO synthesized by hydrothermal reaction were embedded in poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate) matrix (P(MMA-co-BA)) to produce the nano-ZnO/P(MMA-co-BA) nanocomposites via in-situ polymerization at 85 °C. The nano-ZnO/P(MMA-co-BA) nanocomposites were hydrothermal treated in the mixture solution of Zn(NO 3) 2•6H 2O and NH 4OH at 90 °C under various pH (i.e.7, 8, 9 and 10) and treatment time (i.e. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 hrs). The nano-ZnO could act as seeding particles for hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanostructures on the surfaces of nanocomposites. The higher pH of basic solutions used in the hydrothermal treatment, the higher amount of Zn(OH) 4 2- nuclei would be created, leading to a modification of the ZnO morphology from nano-nuclei to nanorods, nanorods bushes (flower-like nanostructure) and nanofibers with nanospine. The increase of hydrothermal treatment time resulted in the increases of amount and length of multidirectional grown ZnO nanorods. Data of the contact angle measurement exhibited the increase of hydrophobicity of the nano-ZnO/P(MMA-co-BA) nanocomposites after hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanostructures. The nanocomposites treated at pH∈=∈10 for 24 hrs shows the highest hydrophobicity with the contact angle of 121. In addition, the thermal stability of the nano-ZnO/P(MMA-co-BA) could be improved by the formation of hydrothermal grown ZnO nanostructure on the nanocomposite surface. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Citation
Journal of Polymer Research, 18(6), 2245-2254, 2011