In situ and Ex situ preparations of ZnO/poly-{trans-[RuCl 2(vpy)4]/styrene} nanocomposites

Abstract

Nanosized semiconductor particles are of great scientific and technological interest because of their size-dependent electronic and optical properties. Semiconductor nanocrystals have been investigated, for example, as nano-fillers for diverse polymer matrices in order to produce new optically active materials. Here we report, for the first time, results concerning the preparation of nanocomposites made of ZnO nanocrystals (NCs) incorporated in the co-polymer poly-{trans-[RuCl2(vpy)4]/sty (sty = styrene and vpy = 4-vinylpyridine). In a first step, the co-polymer was prepared by reaction of trans-[RuCl2(vpy)4] with styrene. Then, organically capped ZnO NCs and poly-{trans-[RuCl2(vpy)4]/sty} were mixed in CH2Cl2 to produce cast films of the nanocomposites after evaporation of the solvent (ex situ method). The properties of these materials were compared to those of nanocomposites obtained by in situ polymerization in the presence of ZnO NCs. © 2010 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.