KINETICS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLE FORMATION IN A VISCOUS-FLOW POLYMER

The vacuum deposition of silver atoms onto viscous-flow epoxy has been performed over a wide range of substrate viscosities from 20 to 200 P a.s. The possibility of synthesising small (1.5-2.5 nm) metal particle s in the polymer volume at a depth of several tens of nm is demonstrat ed. The relationship between particle sizes, the depth of their placem ent and substrate viscosity is determined by TEM measurements made nor mal and parallel to the substrate surface. Samples prepared al differe nt deposition times of silver atoms onto a 20 Pa.s substrate were used to investigate the subsurface particle growth kinetics. The fundament al stages of submerged silver dispersion film formation are establishe d by experiments and computer simulation of the absorption spectra of metal/polymer composites. Some numerical estimates of the process of n anoparticle nucleation and growth are presented. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.