A Simple Route from Monomeric Nanofibers to Zinc Oxide/Zinc Sulfide Nanoparticle/Polymer Composites through the Combined Use of gamma-irradiation Polymerization, Gas/Solid Reaction and Thermal Decomposition

Abstract

We report a simple route to hierarchical zinc oxide/zinc sulfide (ZnO/ZnS) nanoparticle/polymer nanofiber structures through self-assembly of zinc dimethacrylate (Zn(MA)(2)) in water/ethanol solution. The water clusters in formed around Zn(MA)(2) would undergo hydrogen-bonding interactions to create a supramolecular structure and then form the construction of three-dimensional nanofibers and random networks. These monomeric Zn(MA)(2) nanofibers are converted into ZnO or ZnS nanoparticle/polymer nanofiber composites through a combination of gamma-irradiated polymerizations and in situ thermal decomposition or H2S gas/solid reactions, respectively. The carboxylic ion groups of P-Zn(MA)(2) remained bonded to zinc ions on the particles' surfaces after thermal decomposition or the reaction with H2S. The compact polymer network prevented the ZnO or ZnS nanoparticles from aggregating to eliminate the defects. High-resolution transmission electron microscopes indicate that ZnO and ZnS particles are highly crystallized with a size of 3-7 nm. This is a simple approach to produce nanoparticle in polymer nanofibers. This preparation method can potentially be extended to other polymer matrices containing different metal ions.