Single particle tracking study on diffusion process in a polymer matrix

The diffusion process of nanoparticles in a polymer matrix was studied by the single-particle tracking (SPT) method. ZnS-AgInS₂ (ZAIS) nanoparticles were dispersed in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and were tracked before and 20 hours after adding a curing agent in the PDMS. The averaged diffusion coefficients of the ZAIS nanoparticles in PDMS 20 hours after adding the curing agent was 1/2 of that without the curing agent. While the diffusion coefficients of the nanoparticles in the PDMS without the curing agent were of similar value, that in the PDMS in the curing process showed broad distribution in value.