Monomeric and Polymeric Metal Carboxylates as Precursors of Nanocomposite Materials

The interest in the metal-containing polymeric nanocomposites is caused by a unique combination of properties of metals nanoparticles, their oxides and chalcogenides, and by mechanical, film-forming and other characteristics of polymers with opportunities for their use as magnetic materials for record and storage of information, as catalysts and sensors, in medicine and biology [1]. Homo- and copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic acids and their salts are widely used for the stabilization of metal-containing dispersions. For example, nanocomposites of the PbS/copolymer of styrene-methacrylic acid [2], PbS/copolymer of ethylene-methacrylic acid [3], CuS/polyvinylalcohol-polyacrylicacid[4],Cu2C-polyacrylicacid/CdS[5],Co/PAAblock- PS[6]wereobtainedbyvariousmethods.HeterometallicZnS/CdSnanocrystals with luminescent propertieswere synthesized by the treatment of the triple copolymer of styrene-Zn diacrylate-Cd diacrylate by the general reagent H2S (MnD4:7_104, atomic ratio Zn=CdD3:3 W1) [7]. Such examples are very numerous. On the one hand, carboxylated compounds of a monomeric and polymeric structure can be molecular precursors of nanocomposite materials. On the other hand, carboxyl groups of macroligands are efficient stabilizers of nanoparticles; these functions are frequently developed together in one system. Amphiphilic character of carboxylated polymers and copolymers allows not only to encapsulate nanoparticles of metals or to combine them with polymeric and inorganic matrixes or biological objects, but also allows to give such properties as solubility in various mediums, ability to self-organization, etc., to nanoparticles.