Incorporation of Metal Nanoparticles into a Double Gyroid Network Texture

Abstract

Palladium nanoparticles have been successfully incorporated into a porous diblock copolymer template using a novel technique. An ordered bicontinuous double gyroid phase was created from poly(isoprene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine). The poly(isoprene) matrix of this structure was subsequently removed by ozonolysis, creating a high specific surface area material composed of a poly(2-vinylpyridine) double gyroid network texture. Palladium ions were then adsorbed and reduced within the material. Large loadings of the nanoparticles were possible. It was also possible to kinetically control the dimensions (∼5−10 nm) and number density of the nanoparticles. Because of the high porosity and specific surface area of the template, this technique is very promising for high-performance catalysts and other applications.

Hierarchical self-assembly of nanoparticles in polymer matrix and the nature of the interparticle interaction

“…[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] The NPs confined in one of the selected microdomains have been found to uniformly distribute in the domain space or be localized at the interface between different microdomains or in the middle of the domains. 21,22 In this work, the metal precursor is deliberately reduced in a homopolymer matrix rather than bcp matrices for exploring the intrinsic interparticle interaction and its consequences on the morphology of NP aggregates without the influence of spatial confinement involved by the bcp microdomains.…”

Enhanced Photophysical Properties of Nanopatterned Titania Nanodots/Nanowires upon Hybridization with Silica via Block Copolymer Templated Sol-Gel Process

“…Of the versatile aspects of BCPs, fabrication of organic-inorganic nanocomposite structures using BCPs as structure directing agents is a well known application. For instance, inorganic sol-gel precursors [23][24][25][26][27] and inorganic nanoparticles [28,29] can be incorporated into one of the constituent blocks having a similar polarity to generate an inorganic nanostructure that is essentially the replica or modulated nanostructure of the initial BCP [30][31][32]. Silica/BCP films with various mesostructures of large characteristic length scales were synthesized through evaporation-induced self-assembly, where amphiphilic polystyrene-block-poly(ethyleneoxide) (PS-b-PEO) diblock copolymer and triblock copolymer (P123) were used as the structure-directing agents [33].…”

Nanoporous gyroid platinum with high catalytic activity from block copolymer templates via electroless plating

“…By exploiting the templating process (that is, nanoreactor concept), certain reactions, such as electroless plating, [45][46][47] electrochemical deposition [48][49][50] and the sol-gel process, 51,52 can be performed within the BCP templates for the manufacture of nanohybrids because of the freestanding characteristic of the gyroid networks. After removal of the template, nanoporous gyroid materials can be fabricated with a well-defined texture, which is promising for applications such as ceramic membranes, [53][54][55] hybrid solar cells, 45 membrane reactors 56,57 and low refractive index materials. 51,52 In this study, we propose a new approach for the fabrication of nanoporous Pt with a well-defined texture (that is, gyroid-forming nanostructure) using hydrolyzed PS-PLLA (that is, nanoporous PS) as a template for the electroless plating of Pt.…”