One-step fabrication of silver nanoparticle embedded polymer nanofibers by radical-mediated dispersion polymerization

Abstract

Silver nanoparticle embedded poly(vinyl alcohol)–poly(methyl methacrylate) nanofibers, ca. 30 nm in diameter and ca. 60 µm in length, were fabricated by one-step radical-mediated dispersion polymerization using 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) to reduce the silver ions. In this methodology, PVA acted both as a gelator to form the nanofibers and as a stabilizer to protect the silver clusters from sintering.