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Preparation of high-refractive-index PMMA/TiO2 nanocomposites by one-step in situ solvothermal method

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Abstract

High-refractive index polymeric materials, which are transparent, have many promising applications in optical design and advanced optoelectronic fabrication. In order to improve the refractive index of polymeric materials, inorganic materials with high-refractive index, such as TiO2, are always added into polymers. However, some of the traditional synthetic methods are complicated and hard to control. In our work, we developed a novel and simple method, a one-step in situ solvothermal method, to prepare poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and nano-TiO2 hybrid films. Methyl methacrylate (MMA), vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMO), titanium butoxide [Ti(OBu)4], ethanol, hydrochloric acid, azobis-isobutyronitrile and tetrahydrofuran were added into a reaction vessel altogether and the polymerization of PMMA matrix and the formation of nano-TiO2 composite carried out simultaneously. To improve the adhesion between PMMA and TiO2, VTMO was used as a comonomer. The results indicate that TiO2 nanoparticles produced by decomposition of titanium butoxide are dispersed homogeneously in the PMMA matrix. The size of TiO2 crystals in PMMA/TiO2 nanocomposites is about 5–6 nm. The hybrid films have a good transparency (over 80 %) in the visible region, a good thermal stability and a UV-shielding property after the incorporation of TiO2. The refractive index of as-formed PMMA/TiO2 nanocomposites increases up to 1.839 at 633 nm as the content of Ti(OBu)4 is 50.00 wt%.

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Abbreviations

PMMA:

Poly(methyl methacrylate)

VTMO:

Vinyltrimethoxysilane

Ti(OBu)4):

Titanium butoxide

RI:

Refractive index

HPC:

Hydroxypropylcellulose

APTMOS:

(3-Acryloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane

MMA:

Methyl methacrylate

THF:

Tetrahydrofuran

AIBN:

Azobis-isobutyronitrile

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Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Nos: 21173145 and 51133003) and Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project (No. B202).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Jieyu Jin, Rongrong Qi, Mingkang Tong & Jian Zhu

  2. School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Yuezeng Su

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  1. Jieyu Jin
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  2. Rongrong Qi
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Correspondence to Rongrong Qi.

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Jin, J., Qi, R., Su, Y. et al. Preparation of high-refractive-index PMMA/TiO2 nanocomposites by one-step in situ solvothermal method. Iran Polym J 22, 767–774 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-013-0175-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-013-0175-x

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