The polyol method was employed for the first time to synthesize cuprous oxide nanowires using only a precursor of Cu(II) acetate monohydrate and diethylene glycol (DEG). With careful control of the reaction temperature (190 °C), the precursor concentration (0.01−0.1 mol/L), and the reaction time (6 h), we prepared Cu2O nanowires with a diameter of approximately 20 nm and a length up to 5 μm. The nanowires were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and IR spectroscopy.

ZnO nanorods (length 30–150 nm) were synthesized in di(ethylene glycol) using Zn(CH3COO)2as a precursor andpara-toluene sulphonic acid, p-TSA, as an end-capping agent. Increasing the concentration of p-TSA above 0.1 M causes the reduction of the ZnO length. Nanocomposites with poly(methyl methacrylate) were prepared using unmodified nanorods. They enhanced the UV absorption of nanocomposites (∼98%) at low ZnO concentrations (0.05–0.1 wt.%), while visible light transparency was high. At concentrations of 1 wt.% and above, nanorods enhanced the thermal stability of nanocomposites. At low concentrations (0.05–0.1 wt.%), they increased the storage modulus of material and shiftedTgtowards higher temperatures as shown by dynamic mechanical analysis, DMA, while at higher concentrations (1.0 wt.%) this effect was deteriorated. DMA also showed that spherical ZnO particles have a more pronounced effect on the storage modulus andTgthan nanorods.

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Abstract. Organophilic nano ZnO particles have been synthesized in various diols (ethylene glycol -EG, 1,2 propane diol -PD, 1,4 butane diol -BD and tetra(ethylene glycol) -TEG) in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid, p-TsOH, as an end capping agent. The addition of p-TsOH reduces the ZnO particle size and increases its crystallite size. With increasing diol main chain length the ZnO particle size increases (EG (32 nm) < PD (33 nm) < BD (72 nm) < TEG (86 nm)). Using the assynthesized and unmodified ZnO nanocomposites with poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, matrix have been prepared by the in-situ bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate, MMA. The addition of surface modifiers is avoided which is an advantage for the application since they can influence other properties of the material. ZnO particles, especially those with smaller particle sizes (EG -32 nm, PD -33 nm) showed enhanced effect on the thermal stability of PMMA, ultraviolet, UV, absorption and transparency for visible light. Transparent materials with high UV absorption and with enhanced resistance to sunlight were obtained by optimizing the nanocomposite preparation procedure using ZnO particles of about 30 nm size in concentrations between 0.05 and 0.1 wt%. The reported nanocomposite preparation procedure is compatible with the industrial process of PMMA sheet production.

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