EFFECT OF NANOPARTICLE SIZE ON THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF COPOLYMER-NANOPARTICLES COMPOSITE THIN-FILMS STUDIED BY NEUTRON REFLECTION

Neutron reflection was used for the study of the composite films made of symmetric (d-PS-PBMA) diblock copolymer (molecular weight M-w = 170 and 135 K) with nanoparticles of gamma-Fe2O3 (4 and 6 nm in diameter) incorporated in the deuterated PS-domains with different concentratio ns. From the neutron reflection experiment we determined the period of the lamellar structure and the position of the nanoparticles in the P S-layers. It is important to examine the effect of the particle size o n the lamellar structure. We determined that the small nanoparticles ( 4 nm) concentrate close to d-PS-PBMA interfaces while larger nanoparti cles (6 nm) localize in the center of PS domains. This effect is of co nsiderable interest in the elaboration of new composite materials sinc e it will give a control on the particle distribution inside the host domains. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.