New organic-inorganic hybrid ureasil-based polymer and glass-polymer composites with ion-implanted silver nanoparticles

The micro‐/nanoscopic structure of the hybrid organic‐inorganic materials, based on polyether chains covalently linked to a silica framework through urea bridges, referred as ureasilicates or ureasils, and As2S3‐ureasil composites with ion‐implanted Ag nanoparticles is investigated. The formation of Ag nanoparticles is confirmed using optical transmission (surface plasmon resonance band of Ag nanoparticles) at ion‐implantation doses of 2.5×1016 and 5.0×1016 ion/cm2 on the example of ureasil. It is established with scanning electron microscopy that incorporation of the As2S3 clusters into ureasil assists to ion‐synthesis of Ag nanoparticles in polymer matrix, more effectively at higher doses of ion‐implantation and for silver containing (As2S3)95Ag5‐ureasil composite. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)