Patent ID: 8389626

Claim:
A method for producing a polycarbonate nanocomposite comprising: forming a reaction mixture comprising a dihydroxy compound, an activated carbonate, a metal precursor, and a solvent; and in-situ polymerizing the reaction mixture to form a polycarbonate nanocomposite comprising metal nanoparticles dispersed within a polycarbonate matrix; wherein the metal precursor comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, rhodium, iridium, copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, iron, nickel, manganese, samarium, neodymium, praseodymium, gadolinium, titanium, zirconium, silicon, indium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, promethium, europium, terbium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium; and wherein the in-situ polymerizing step comprises maintaining the reaction mixture at a first temperature of from about 40° C. to about 60° C. for a first period of time; and maintaining the reaction mixture at a second temperature of about 110° C. to about 130° C. for a second period of time.