Modification of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Various Coupling Agents

Nano-sized ZnO, as one of the most studied semiconductors, is a good dispersant and its presence enhances mechanical, dielectric and thermal properties of polymers. ZnO has been used in many applications in our daily life, such as drug carriers, cosmetics and electronics. Homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix is vital to achieve many of these applications and properties. The possibility to modify and control the surface wettability of nanoparticles has attracted significant interest. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to evaluate the surface modification of ZnO nanoparticles using three different modifiers; alkyl silane, amino silane and oleic acid. The surface modified ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Microscopy (FT-IR) in order to assess the efficiency of modification. Then the effect of surface modification on the dispersion of nanoparticles was investigated through SEM on the obtained ZnO/PS nanocomposites.