Abstract: In this work, pyrene labeled polystyrene (PS) latex dispersions and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were mixed at different weight ratios of AgNPS in the range of 0-50 wt%. Powder (PS/AgNPs) films were prepared on glass substrates from these mixtures by the drop-casting method at room temperature. The fast transient fluorescence (FTRF) technique was used to monitor the film formation process of PS/AgNPs composites by measuring the fluorescence lifetimes of pyrene during vapor exposure. It was observed that pyrene lifetimes decreased as vapor exposure time, t increased obeying Stern–Volmer kinetic. The optical transmission (UVV) experiments showed that the transparency of the films decreased with increasing AgNPs content. Transparent films were produced for the composites with 0 to 20 wt % of AgNPs content. The Prager–Tirrel model was employed to FTRF and UVV data to obtain back-and-forth frequencies, ν, of the reptating PS chains during vapor induced film formation process and polymer interdiffusion was found to obey a t^1/2 law. Despite the conductivity increased by 3 orders of magnitude with increasing AgNPs content, the composites behaved like an insulator. The morphology of composite films also progressively changed during vapor exposure and affected by AgNPs content.

Keywords: Polystyrene, Silver Nanoparticles, Films, Coatings, Solvent Vapor, Latex.

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