Ceria Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles and Assembled Films for Coating Applications

Ceria polymer hybrid nanoparticles (CeO2/PVP) with large specific surface areas were synthesized by a polyol method. The surface structures and chemical compositions of the nanoparticles were sensitive to the sintering temperature. Changes in the d-spacing and band gap were attributed to lattice defects (e.g., Ce3+ and oxygen vacancies) of the as-synthesized CeO2/PVP nanoparticles. A dip-coating method was used to fabricate crack-free CeO2/PVP-based films with uniform morphologies comprising several layers of nanoparticles. The morphologies and thicknesses of the films were dependent on the dip-coating conditions. Crack propagation on the surfaces of the CeO2/PVP nanoparticle films was suppressed by controlling the withdrawal speed of the dip-coating process as well as the concentration and pH of the nanoparticle slurry. The research demonstrates a facile method for the application of nanoparticle dispersions in coatings as light-guiding reflectors.