Control on the dispersion of gold nanoparticles in an epoxy network

Poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP)-protected gold nanoparticles (NPs) were used as modifiers of epoxy/PVP systems to obtain well dispersed, homogeneous nanocomposites. The presence of the homopolymer significantly enhanced the NPs dispersion grade, probably due to the double role of PVP as complexing agent of the metallic cores and soluble modifier of the epoxy network. Tuning of the optical properties could be attained through the use of nanoparticles with variable shapes and sizes. The homogeneity of the colors and the absence of scattering in the final nanocomposites could found practical applications in the development of new optical devices.