TY - JOUR
T1 - Preparation of nanocomposite for optical application using ZnTe nanoparticles and a zero-birefringence polymer
AU - Inui, Chie
AU - Kura, Hiroaki
AU - Sato, Tetsuya
AU - Tsuge, Yosuke
AU - Shiratori, Seimei
AU - Ohkita, Hisanori
AU - Tagaya, Akihiro
AU - Koike, Yasuhiro
PY - 2007/10/1
Y1 - 2007/10/1
N2 - Surface-modified ZnTe nanoparticles were mixed in a zero-birefringence polymer matrix. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that aggregates of ZnTe nanoparticles with a diameter of 20 nm were uniformly dispersed in the polymer. The transmittance of ZnTe nanocomposites rapidly decreased at wavelengths shorter than the critical wavelength corresponding to the band gap of ZnTe nanoparticles, an effect which became significant as the volume fraction of particles increased. In this way, the optical characteristic of ZnTe nanoparticles was added to the polymer. The intrinsic zero-birefringence was confirmed in the heat-drawn ZnTe nanocomposites. As the ZnTe nanocomposites were left in air, a lowering of transmittance was observed. This was due to the oxidation of Zn and the resultant deposition of Te in the ZnTe nanocomposite, as the light absorption of Te is significant. The formation of oxygen non-permeable SiO2 films onto the ZnTe nanocomposite by the sol-gel method was useful in preventing oxidation so that the decrement of transmittance decreased from 47.2% to 14.9% at 530 nm near the ZnTe band gap.
AB - Surface-modified ZnTe nanoparticles were mixed in a zero-birefringence polymer matrix. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that aggregates of ZnTe nanoparticles with a diameter of 20 nm were uniformly dispersed in the polymer. The transmittance of ZnTe nanocomposites rapidly decreased at wavelengths shorter than the critical wavelength corresponding to the band gap of ZnTe nanoparticles, an effect which became significant as the volume fraction of particles increased. In this way, the optical characteristic of ZnTe nanoparticles was added to the polymer. The intrinsic zero-birefringence was confirmed in the heat-drawn ZnTe nanocomposites. As the ZnTe nanocomposites were left in air, a lowering of transmittance was observed. This was due to the oxidation of Zn and the resultant deposition of Te in the ZnTe nanocomposite, as the light absorption of Te is significant. The formation of oxygen non-permeable SiO2 films onto the ZnTe nanocomposite by the sol-gel method was useful in preventing oxidation so that the decrement of transmittance decreased from 47.2% to 14.9% at 530 nm near the ZnTe band gap.
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U2 - 10.1007/s10853-007-1712-9
DO - 10.1007/s10853-007-1712-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34547467862
VL - 42
SP - 8144
EP - 8149
JO - Journal of Materials Science
JF - Journal of Materials Science
SN - 0022-2461
IS - 19
ER -