Silver nanoparticles coated with thioxanthone derivative as hybrid photoinitiating systems for free radical polymerization.

A new type of photoinitiator for free radical polymerization was synthesized and characterized. 2-(11-Mercaptoundecyloxy)thioxanthone (1) was anchored at the surface of silver nanoparticles (NPs), and the interaction of plasmon field generated in the immediate vicinity of Ag NPs carrying the chromophores was evaluated. The optical features and structure of the silver-initiator nanoassemblies (Ag@1) were characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TEM and XRD studies revealed the presence of ca. 5-6 nm diameter Ag NPs, and XPS also confirmed the successful anchorage of 1 at their periphery. The nanoassemblies Ag@1 were successfully used as macroinitiator for radical polymerization of acrylate monomers, triggered photochemically, to obtain Ag(0)-polyacrylate nanocomposite materials. The nanocomposite materials synthesized with the use of Ag@1 exhibit attractive possibilities for patterning the surface of thin films.