Patent ID: 7455886
Filing Date: 2008-11-25
Classification: B82Y,C01P,C08J,C08K,C09C,C09D,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating a nanocomposite material in the form of a film, the method comprising generating nanoparticles in-situ within a polymer matrix by: (a) forming a coating solution of a nanoparticle precursor and a polymer dissolved in a substantially non-aqueous carrier liquid comprising one or more organic solvents, wherein catalyst is essentially absent in the coating solution, wherein the nanoparticle precursor is a condensation polymerizable reactive metal compound comprising a metal atom, which is a transition metal or a metal in Group 3B or 4B of the Periodic Table, and at least two hydrolyzable leaving groups, wherein the amount of nanoparticle precursor in the coating solution is at least 5 weight percent relative to the total polymer, wherein the polymer is a vinyl polymer, an acrylic or styrene polymer or copolymer, or a cellulosic polymer, wherein the coating solution comprises less than 0.2 weight percent water, and wherein the coating solution contains substantially no nanoparticles greater than 2 nm before coating; (b) applying the coating solution onto a substrate in an environment having a controlled relative humidity that is between 2 and 50 percent to form a coating and then removing organic solvent from the coating, thereby forming a gel; (c) converting the nanoparticle precursor into nanoparticles in a polymer matrix to form a nanocomposite; and (d) drying the nanocomposite to remove remaining organic solvent from the nanocomposite; wherein the nanoparticles in the nanocomposite comprise predominantly nanoparticles having a maximum dimension of not more than 50 nm.