Herein, we present the formation of gold nanorods (GNRs) on novel gold-poly(methyl methacrylate) (Au-PMMA) nanocomposite substrates with unprecedented growth control through the polymer molecular weight (M w) and gold-salt-to-polymer weight ratio. For the first time, GNRs have been produced by seed-mediated direct growth on surfaces that were pre-coated with polymer-immobilised gold seeds. A Au...

The first report on the fabrication and application of a nanocomposite containing poly-N-vinyl carbazole (PVK) polymer and graphene oxide (GO) as an antimicrobial film was demonstrated. The antimicrobial film was 90% more effective in preventing bacterial colonization relative to the unmodified surface. More importantly, the nanocomposite thin film showed higher bacterial toxicity than pure GO-...

Flexible high-loading nanoparticle-reinforced polyurethane magnetic nanocomposites fabricated by the surface-initiated polymerization (SIP) method are reported. Extensive field emission scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and atomic force microscopic (AFM) observations revealed a uniform particle distribution within the polymer matrix. X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and differential the...

A novel bioanalogue hydroxyapatite (HAp)/chitosan phosphate (CSP) nanocomposite has been synthesized by a solution-based chemical methodology with varying HAp contents from 10 to 60% (w/w). The interfacial bonding interaction between HAp and CSP has been investigated through Fourier transform infrared absorption spectra (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The surface morphology of the composite...

In order to be suitable for tribological applications, polymeric materials, which can usually exhibit mechanical strength, lightness, ease of processing, versatility and low cost, together with acceptable thermal and environmental resistances, have to show good abrasion and wear resistance. This target is not easy to achieve, since the viscoelasticity of polymeric materials makes the analysis o...

The enhanced thermal stability of polymer-clay nanocomposites over the original polymers is one of their most interesting features and it has been profusely studied within the last decades. Here, a thorough kinetic analysis of polystyrene and a montmorillonite-polystyrene nanocomposite has been performed making use of state-of-the-art kinetic procedures. It has been found that the degradation m...

This paper characterizes the fracture toughness of layer-by-layer (LBL) manufactured thin films with elastic polyurethane, a tough polymer, and poly(acrylic acid) as a stiffening agent. A single-edge-notch tension (SENT) specimen is used to study mode I crack propagation as a function of applied loading. Experimental results for the full-field time histories of the strain maps in the fracturing...

This work describes the application of oxo-derivatives of fullerene C60 and pristine fullerene as a nanocomposite in polymerous nanofibres. In this work we used oxofullerene derivative, of which preparation was presented by the authors of the State office for nuclear safety (Prague) on Nanocon 2009 and on Nanocon 2010 [1, 2]; there was presented its application in vivo as a radioprotective agen...

Inspired by biosilicification, biomimetic polymer-silica nanocomposite has aroused a lot of interest from the viewpoints of both scientific research and technological applications. In this study, a novel dual functional polymer, NH₂-Alginate, is synthesized through an oxidation-amination-reduction process. The "catalysis function" ensures the as-prepared NH₂-Alginate inducing biomimetic mineral...

In our work we have focused on the incorporation of Prussian Blue nanoparticles (NP) into polyelectrolyte multilayer films (PEM). The main goal of presented studies was to obtain polymer/nanoparticles films with controlled electroactive properties. The amount and ordering of deposited nanoparticles depended on the adsorption conditions of the underlying polymer anchoring layer. In the case of f...