Nanoparticle Formation Within Dendrimer-Containing Polymer Networks: Route to New Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials

Published

March 1, 2001

Author(s)

Franziska Grohn, Barry J. Bauer, G Kim, Eric J. Amis

Abstract

Higher generation polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers have the unique ability to act as templates for the formation of inorganic nanoclusters. Here, we use dendrimers dispersed in a polymer matrix to create a new type of solid polymer-inorganic composite material. Hydrophilic polymer networks (poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)) that contain polyamidoamine dendrimers were swollen in aqueous solution and metal ions attached to the dendrimers. Chemical reduction on these precursor ions results in nanoparticles that are located inside the dendrimers, which are dispersed inside the polymer matrix. Small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize gold, platinum and copper nanoclusters within the polymer networks. These new organic-inorganic hybrid materials may be important for a combination of optical or catalytic properties of the colloids with the mechanical properties provided by the polymer network.

Citation

Macromolecules

Volume

34

Issue

No. 7

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

colloid, dendrimer, HEMA, nanocluster, nanostructure, pair distance distribution function, polymer, small-angle x-ray scatter, TEM

Citation

Grohn, F. , Bauer, B. , Kim, G. and Amis, E. (2001), Nanoparticle Formation Within Dendrimer-Containing Polymer Networks: Route to New Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials, Macromolecules, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=851783 (Accessed November 3, 2025)