Hybrid inorganic–organic core–shell metal oxidenanoparticles from metal salts

Abstract

A microemulsion-based route to amorphous metal oxide core polymer shell nanoparticles for iron, titanium, zinc and zirconium is presented. The first step consists of the basic hydrolysis and condensation of metal salts, using FeCl₂·4H₂O, TiCl₄, ZrO(NO₃)₂, and ZnBr₂ as precursors. The formed particles had diameters between 100 and 640 nm and their surface was modified in a second step with silane coupling agents containing initiating groups for thermally and photochemically induced free radical as well as atom transfer radical polymerizations (ATRP). The thus obtained surface-functionalized inorganic cores were used as multifunctional initiators in grafting from polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene as monomers.