Facile green chemistry-based synthesis and properties of free-standing Au- and Ag-PMMA films

Abstract

The synthesis of free-standing PMMA thin films by a green chemistry route and embedding them with Au and Ag nanoparticles is demonstrated. The fabrication involves the use of leaves of three different plants (Syzygium cumini, Bauhinia purpurea, and Cymbopogon (lemon grass)) on which the Ag- and Au-based precursors are deposited to realize the corresponding noble metal nanoparticles (NPs). The nanoparticle sizes are on the order of 10-20 nm. To achieve the free-standing films, the metal precursor is coated on leaf substrate followed by spin coating of a solution of PMMA polymer. After a short period of drying at room temperature, the polymer is peeled off from the leaf surface to get the free-standing thin film of noble metal-PMMA. Free-standing films of dimensions of 1.5 cm × 2.5 cm and thicknesses of several micrometers have been fabricated. The resultant films are shown to exhibit interesting plasmonic and catalytic properties.