Preparation of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-silver nanoparticle composite using dimethylformide as both a solvent and a reductant

Abstract Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-silver nanoparticle (PVDF-Ag) composites were synthesized by in situ reduction of silver salt using dimethylformide (DMF) as both a solvent and a reductant. The crystalline properties (e.g., crystallinity and the types of crystals) of the composites were characterized. It was shown that PVDF in the composites had a higher melting temperature than pure PVDF, and the α phase crystal in the composites became more stable with an increase in the amount of silver nanoparticles. The mechanical properties and morphologies of the composites were also investigated. It was noted that the PVDF-Ag composites have better mechanical properties when silver nanoparticles were added. The increase in toughness could be attributed to the formation of continuous structure between PVDF and silver particles.