Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of Ag-acidfuchsin nanohybrid system towards the ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone.

The acidfuchsin (AF) decorated Ag nanoparticle (NP) was synthesized and its ability towards the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) was studied under N2 atmosphere at 160 °C in the presence of stannous octoate (SO) as a catalyst. Both the nanohybrid and nanocomposites were characterized by various analytical tools like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The number of binding site from the fluorescence spectrum confirmed that all the functional groups present in AF might have been involved in the ROP of CL.