Preparation of transparent PMMA/Fe(IO3)3 nanocomposite films from microemulsion polymerization

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/Fe(IO3)3 nanocomposite thin films are obtained by in situ particle generation in microemulsions and subsequent photopolymerization of a mixture containing methyl methacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, and crystallized iron iodate (Fe(IO3)3) nanorods. Hyper-Rayleigh scattering measurements combined with X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering are first used to probe in situ the crystallization kinetics of iron iodate nanorods in water-in-oil microemulsions prepared with methyl methacrylate as the oil phase and marlophen NP12 as a surfactant. Trimethylolpropane triacrylate is then added as a crosslinker before spin-coating. Films are deposited on glass substrates for the nonlinear optical characterizations and on silicon wafers for the piezoelectric and mechanical measurements. Nanocomposite films treated by corona discharge are finally characterized through optical microscopy, laser Doppler vibrometry, and Brillouin spectroscopy. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1203-1211, 2013