Copper nanoparticles synthesized in polymers by ion implantation: Surface morphology and optical properties of the nanoc
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Vladimir I. Nuzhdin and V.F. Valeev Kazan Physical-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kazan 420029, Russia
Andrei L. Stepanov Kazan Physical-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kazan 420029, Russia; Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia; and Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan 420015, Russia (Received 6 June 2014; accepted 29 September 2014)
Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polyimide (PI) samples are implanted by 40 keV Cu1 ions with high fluences to synthesize copper nanoparticles in shallow polymer layers. The produced metal/polymer nanocomposites are studied using atomic force and scanning electron microscopies as well as optical transmission spectroscopy. It is found that nucleation and growth of copper nanoparticles are strongly fluence-dependent as well as they are affected by the polymer properties, in particular, by radiation stability yielding different nanostructures for the implanted PI and PMMA. Shallow synthesized nanoparticles are observed to partly tower above the sample surface due to a side effect of high-fluence irradiation leading to considerable sputtering of polymers. Implantation and particle formation significantly change optical properties of both polymers reducing transmittance in the UV–visible range due to structural and compositional change as well as causing an absorption band related to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the nanoparticles. The role of polymer type and its degradation under the implantation on LSPR is studied to optimize conditions for the formation of nanoplasmonic materials.
I. INTRODUCTION
In recent years, thin metal/polymer nanocomposite films attract considerable attention due to a number of practical applications.1 In particular, by varying metal species and filling factor in a polymer one can control insulator-to-metal transition and provide evolution of mechanisms of electrical charge transport from variable range hopping toward electron conductance via percolating metal inclusions.2–5 Applications combining electrical and mechanical properties of metal/polymer composites are of significant interest. Good examples are strain gages and elastomer electrodes.6,7 Optical properties of polymers with gold, silver, and copper nanoparticles (NPs) are of significant interest due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR).8–11 These materials are considered to be promising for nanoscale plasmonics, fabrication of nonlinear optical devices, and optical sensors. 8,9,12 Formation of metal/polymer composites can be performed by a variety of methods including particle formation by sputtering techniques, chemical and photo reduction, deposition from cluster beams or chemical solutions etc. One of the widely used methods is a)
Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected] DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2014.324 86
J. Mater. Res., Vol. 30, No. 1, Jan 14, 2015
http://journals.cambridge.org
Downloaded: 14 Mar 2015
NP synthesis using ion implantation.13 For the NP nucleation, the metal concentration must
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