Dispersion and incorporation of optical nanotracers

Keywords:
nanotracer, nanoparticle, fluorescence, silica, surface functionalization, dispersion, polymer

Abstract:
Silica fluorescent nanoparticles of 40nm diameter are synthesized by a reverse microemulsion process. Numerous industrial applications involve the homogeneous incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer matrix. Nevertheless, because of their low size, nanoparticles tend to agglomerate into the polymer matrix. With an appropriate surface treatement consiting of ultrasonication and functionalization, a same fluorescent nanoparticle can be incorporated homogeneously either into an hydrophilc-based polymer or into an hydrophobic-based one. The fluorescence of these nanoparticles is a good way to quantify the quality of the dispersion obtained. Confocal microscopy images show the well-dispersed nanotracers in several polymers.

Nanotech 2008 Conference Program Abstract