Preparation Of Polyester Or Polyacrylate/Nano-ZnO Hybrid Material By In-situ Reaction

As a new kind of semiconductor, nano-ZnO is going to be a promising luminescent materialin the future. With both characteristics of polymers and nano-ZnO, polymer/nano-ZnO hybrid has potential usage in luminescent materials, biomaterials, and polymer blends with high weather resistance. Typical polymer/nano-ZnO composites were prepared by blending the polymers with nano-ZnO particles, but they tend to agglomeration in the matrix and their distribution is poor. In this article, we studied two kinds of methods to prepare the polymer/nano-ZnO composites through the in-situ reaction. The primary work was showed as follows.(1) Carboxyl terminated poly(diethylene glycol adipate)(PDA) was synthesized by the polycondensation of adipic acid with diethylene glycol at molar ratio of1.1. Through the reaction of carboxyl terminated PDA with γ-glycidoxy-propyltrimethoxysilane (KH560) at80℃, trimethoxysilane terminated PDA (PDA-Si) was prepared. PDA-Si was mixed with zinc ethoxide and hydrolyzed through the moisture in the air directly or the additional water ethanolic solution at40℃for5h, with or without the heated treatment at120℃.The polyester/nano-ZnO hybrid material was obtained. (2) The polyester/nano-ZnO hybrid was characterized by FTIR spectrum and zinc oxide was detected in the matrix. From the TEM photographs of polyester/nano-ZnO hybrid, the average diameter of ZnO was about50nm and some bigger than100nm. The effect of the temperature and the water amount on the average diameter of zinc oxide were studied.(3) The mixed monomer was prepared from the reaction of PEG(600) and ethyleneglycol with methacrylic acid. Zinc butoxide was dissolved in the mixed monomer and hydrolyzed through the addition of water-ethanol solution. By heating, the hybrid was crosslinked and the solidified polyacrylate/nano-ZnO hybrid material was obtained. Viscosity-enhancing polymer polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was synthesized and was used to improve the hybrid material.(4) The polyacrylate/nano-ZnO hybrid was characterized by FTIR spectrum and the zinc oxide was indicated in the hybrid material. The TEM photographs of polyacrylate/nano-ZnO hybrids showed that the diameter of the nano-ZnO particles is lower than50nm. The presence of the viscosity-enhancing polymer and the zinc butoxide content at20%were of benefit to lower the average diameter of zinc oxide.(5) Under UV irradiation at365nm, the polyacrylate/nano-ZnO hybrids showed obviously luminescence of green light. The hybrid materials with good distribution and lower average diameter of nano-ZnO particles had the best luminescence. The influencing factors were thoroughly studied.