A simple route from monomeric nanofibers to zinc oxide/zinc sulfide nanoparticle/ polymer composites through the combined use of γ-irradiation polymerization, gas/solid reaction and thermal decomposition

We report a simple route to hierarchical zinc oxide/zinc sulfide (ZnO/ZnS) nanoparticle/polymer nanofiber structures through self-assembly of zinc dimethacrylate (Zn(MA)₂) in water/ethanol solution. The water clusters in formed around Zn(MA)₂ would undergo hydrogen-bonding interactions to create a supramolecular structure and then form the construction of three-dimensional nanofibers and random networks. These monomeric Zn(MA)2 nanofibers are converted into ZnO or ZnS nanoparticle/polymer nanofiber composites through a combination of y-irradiated polymerizations and in situ thermal decomposition or H₂S gas/solid reactions, respectively. The carboxylic ion groups of P-Zn(MA)₂ remained bonded to zinc ions on the particles' surfaces after thermal decomposition or the reaction with H ₂S. The compact polymer network prevented the ZnO or ZnS nanoparticles from aggregating to eliminate the defects. High-resolution transmission electron microscopes indicate that ZnO and ZnS particles are highly crystallized with a size of 3-7 nm. This is a simple approach to produce nanoparticle in polymer nanofibers. This preparation method can potentially be extended to other polymer matrices containing different metal ions.