Sulfonated polybutadiene random ionomer as stabiliser for colloidal copper nanoparticles

New ionomer composites based on nanocopper particles provide a promising route to the fabrication of novel materials for advanced technology applications in the new millennium. Utilising the concept of colloid chemistry, a ‘smart’ nanoscale composite has been developed for the first time in viscoelastic sulfonated cis-1,4-polybutadiene ionomer matrix. The applicability of this approach to forming ‘smart’ surfaces on traditional thermoplastic elastomeric ionomer opens a new area to create a medium suitable for optical applications and viscoelastic composite thin film technology. The stabilised nanocopper colloid has been characterised using UV-vis, XRD and TEM techniques.