Formation of silver nanoparticles induced by poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)

Colloidal silver nanoparticles were easily obtained by reacting AgX (X = BF 4, PF6, SbF6, SO3CF3, ClO4, NO3) with poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide ) (PPO) in a mixed solvent system of chloroform and methanol in the absence of UV irradiation. Rapid formation of colloidal silver nanoparticles was a lso observed when a silver salt was added to a chloroform solution containi ng PPO and 1-hexene. UV-vis spectra and transmission electron micrographs s how that the colloidal silver particles formed from these methods are nanos ized, stable, and uniformly distributed. PPO was found to be oxidized in th e presence of a silver salt to give quinone and quinone derivatives which w ere analyzed by GC-Mass. A plausible mechanism for the formation of silver nanoparticles is proposed on the basis of the redox reaction of PPO in the presence of a silver salt.