Thin glassy polymer films including spherical nanoparticles
A method of forming a solid-state polymer can include grafting a graft polymer to nanoparticles to provide grafted nanoparticles, and dispersing the grafted nanoparticles in a polymer matrix to provide a specified loading of the grafted nanoparticles within the polymer matrix to form a solid-state polymer. A solid-state polymer can include grafted nanoparticles comprising a polymer graft grafted to nanoparticles, and a polymer matrix, in which the grafted nanoparticles are dispersed to form a solid-state polymer, the dispersion configured to provide a specified loading of the grafted nanoparticles within the solid-state polymer.
1. A method of forming a solid-state polymer, the method comprising:
grafting a graft polymer to nanoparticles to provide grafted nanoparticles; and dispersing the grafted nanoparticles in a polymer matrix to provide a specified loading of the grafted nanoparticles within the polymer matrix to form a solid-state polymer, wherein the solid state polymer has an elastic modulus from about 3.5 GPa to 4.6 GPa, a yield stress from about 21 mPa to about 25.5 MPa, and a strain-to-failure from about 2% elongation to about 4.75% elongation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state polymer has an increased modulus, an increased yield stress, and an increased strain-to-failure compared to the polymer matrix without the grafted nanoparticles dispersed therein.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified loading is below a percolation threshold concentration of the grafted nanoparticles within the polymer matrix.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified loading is less than 7 weight percent grafted nanoparticles within the polymer matrix.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified loading is about 5 weight percent grafted nanoparticles in the polymer matrix.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein dispersing the grafted nanoparticles comprises forming a spatially uniform dispersion of the grafted nanoparticles within the polymer matrix.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles include silica nanoparticles.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graft polymer is immiscible within the polymer matrix.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graft polymer is miscible within the polymer matrix.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graft polymer includes polystyrene.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix includes a homo-polystyrene matrix.
12. A solid-state polymer comprising:
grafted nanoparticles comprising a graft polymer grafted to nanoparticles; and
a polymer matrix, in which the grafted nanoparticles are dispersed to form a solid-state polymer, the dispersion configured to provide a specified loading of the grafted nanoparticles within the solid-state polymer,
wherein the solid state polymer has an elastic modulus from about 3.5 GPa to 4.6 GPa, a yield stress from about 21 mPa to about 25.5 MPa, and a strain-to-failure from about 2% elongation to about 4.75% elongation.
13. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the solid-state polymer has an increased modulus, an increased yield stress, and an increased strain-to-failure compared to the polymer matrix without the grafted nanoparticles dispersed therein.
14. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the specified loading is below a percolation threshold concentration of the grafted nanoparticles.
15. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the specified loading is less than 7 weight percent grafted nanoparticles in the polymer matrix.
16. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the specified loading is about 5 weight percent grafted nanoparticles in the polymer matrix.
17. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the solid state-polymer is an amorphous solid-state polymer.
18. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the specified loading is below the percolation threshold concentration of the nanoparticles.
19. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the nanoparticles include silica nanoparticles.
20. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the graft polymer includes polystyrene.
21. The solid-state polymer of claim 12 , wherein the polymer matrix includes a homo-polystyrene matrix.