Kinetics of silver nanoparticle formation in a viscous-flow polymer

The vacuum deposition of silver atoms onto viscous-flow epoxy has been performed over a wide range of substrate viscosities from 20 to 200 Pa.s. The possibility of synthesising small (1.5-2.5 nm) metal particles in the polymer volume at a depth of several tens of nm is demonstrated. The relationship between particle sizes, the depth of their placement and substrate viscosity is determined by TEM measurements made normal and parallel to the substrate surface. Samples prepared al different deposition times of silver atoms onto a 20 Pa.s substrate were used to investigate the subsurface particle growth kinetics. The fundamental stages of submerged silver dispersion film formation are established by experiments and computer simulation of the absorption spectra of metal/polymer composites. Some numerical estimates of the process of nanoparticle nucleation and growth are presented. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.