Preparation of ZnO/polymer core-shell nanocomposites by controlled radical polymerization

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the preparation of polymer/nanometer-sized inorganic particles nanocomposites due to their attractive mechanical, thermal,optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. Nanosized ZnO, as a very important semiconductor, is used widely in preparingsolar cells, gas sensors, catalysts, electrical and optical devices. However, ZnO nanoparticles are prone to aggregate due to the large surface area and high surface energy. In orderto improve the dispersion, it is necessary to modify the surface of ZnO nanoparticles[1,2]. Free radical polymerization isfrequently used in industry for the production of a wide range of polymers. A range of different monomers can bepolymerized. Since the last years of the 20th century, a number of controlled or living radical polymerization (LRP) techniques have been reported[3].LRP methods include the following :  Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP)  Nitroxide –mediated polymerization(NMP) Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer