TY - JOUR A1 - Famy, A. A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonardo A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the Dielectric Properties and the Homogeneity of Plasma Poly(acrylic acid) Thin Films N2 - For the first time, structure−electrochemical relationships of thin films of a plasma-polymerized acrylic acid/carbon dioxide AA/CO2 (75/25%) copolymer modified by implanted silver nanoparticles are discussed. The pulsed plasma polymerization of AA/CO2 was utilized and adjusted to obtain a maximal amount of COOH Groups forming an almost uncross-linked polymer structure. The prepared polymer layer is rinsed by a silver nitrate solution to impregnate Ag+ ions. This step is followed by its reduction of Ag+ with NaBH4 as a chemical route in comparison to the reduction by sunlight as an ecofriendly photoreduction method. The chemical composition and morphology of the topmost surface layer of the AA/CO2 polymer thin film were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Moreover, the molecular mobility, conductivity, and thermal stability of the polymer layer were analyzed using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of the AA/ CO2 polymer thin film were studied in the presence of Ag+ ions or Ag0. It was found that a cross-linked polymer layer with a smooth surface and high conductivity was obtained in the presence of Ag+/ Ag0. KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06712 SN - 1932-7447 VL - 124 IS - 41 SP - 22817 EP - 22826 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-51468 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -