Preparation, Characterization and Thermal Degradation Behavior of CdS/P (NIPAM-co-MMA) Core/Shell Nanocomposite

CdS/P (NIPAM-co-MMA) core/shell nanocomposite particles were prepared via surfactant free emulsion polymerization. Firstly, the Cd2 ions were coordinated with MMA and NIPAM. After the addition of initiators and heating, NIPAM and MMA was either polymerized homogeneously or copolymerized with each other. Subsequently, after the addition of TAA and heating of the reaction system, CdS on the surface copolymer particles was formed with the release of S2− ions, thus CdS/P (NIPAM-co-MMA) core/shell nanocomposite was synthesized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of the polymerization of monomers and C=O and N-H groups and of cadmium ions coordination confirmed. Structure and morphology of CdS nanoparticles have been characterized using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD measurements suggest the cubic structure for CdS and the particles size was estimated to about 3.26 nm by applying Scherer's equation. Transmission electron microscope confirmed that CdS/(NIPAM-co-MMA) nanocomposite were synthesized in the form of core/shell structure. The thermal properties of the CdS/P (NIPAM-co- MMA) core/shell nanocomposite were explored by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermal stability of nanocomposite was increased by 47% in comparison with copolymer. The higher thermal stability of nanocomposite with respect to copolymer is indicative of a interaction between the CdS nanoparticles with copolymer chain and formed this nanoparticles with core/shell structure.