We investigated the preparation of well-dispersed core-shell ceria-poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) nanoparticles with an average particle size of around 20 nm which were used to produce a hybrid film with a polymer coating of dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate (DPHA). We obtained good dispersion of the nanoparticles in a mixed solvent of 48% 1-methoxy-2-propanol (MP), 32% 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol (MMB), and 20% methyl i-butyl ketone (MIBK). An ink of the polymer coating consisting of 68.7 wt% nanoparticles and 31.3 wt% DPHA with a polymerization initiator was prepared using this solvent mixture. The surface of the hybrid film showed low roughness and the nanoparticles formed a densely packed structure in the DPHA matrix. The resulting coating possessed excellent transparency and a high refractive index of 1.69.
Keywords: cerium oxide; core-shell nanoparticles; dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate; poly(vinylpyrrolidone); refractive index.