Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Loaded onto Polymer-Inorganic Composite Materials and Their Regulated Catalytic Activity.

We present a novel approach for the preparation of polymer-TiO₂ composite microgels. These microgels were prepared by the in situ hydrolysis and condensation of titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) in a mixed ethanol/acetonitrile solvent system, using poly(styrene---isopropylacrylamide)/poly(-isopropylacrylamide--methacrylic acid) (P(St-NIPAM/P(NIPAM--MAA)) as the core component. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were controllably loaded onto the polymer-TiO₂ composite microgels through the reduction of an ammoniacal silver solution in ethanol catalyzed by NaOH.