Nanocomposites Based on Metal and Metal Sulfide Clusters Embedded in Polystyrene

• Main Authors: Gianfranco Carotenuto, Cinzia Giannini, Luigi Nicolais, Dritan Siliqi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2011-08-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: metal clusters; thiolates; nanocomposites; polymer; optical properties
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/3/3/1352/

Transition-metal alkane-thiolates (i.e., organic salts with formula Me(SR)x, where R is a linear aliphatic hydrocarbon group, –CnH2n+1) undergo a thermolysis reaction at moderately low temperatures (close to 200 °C), which produces metal atoms or metal sulfide species and an organic by-product, disulfide (RSSR) or thioether (RSR) molecules, respectively. Alkane-thiolates are non-polar chemical compounds that dissolve in most techno-polymers and the resulting solid solutions can be annealed to generate polymer-embedded metal or metal sulfide clusters. Here, the preparation of silver and gold clusters embedded into amorphous polystyrene by thermolysis of a dodecyl-thiolate precursor is described in detail. However, this chemical approach is quite universal and a large variety of polymer-embedded metals or metal sulfides could be similarly prepared.