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A novel approach for the fabrication of metal coated micro- and nanoparticles by functionalization with a thin polydopamine layer followed by electroless plating is reported. The particles are initially coated with polydopamine via self-polymerization. The resulting polydopamine coated particles have a surface rich in catechols and amino groups, resulting in a high affinity toward metal ions. Thus, they provide an effective platform for selective electroless metal deposition without further activation and sensitization steps. The combination of a polydopamine-based functionalization with electroless plating ensures a simple, scalable, and cost-effective metal coating strategy. Silver-plated tungsten carbide microparticles, copper-plated tungsten carbide microparticles, and copper-plated alumina nanoparticles were successfully fabricated, showing also the high versatility of the method, since the polymerization of dopamine leads to the formation of an adherent polydopamine layer on the surface of particles of any material and size. The metal coated particles produced with this process are particularly well suited for the production of metal matrix composites, since the metal coating increases the wettability of the particles by the metal, promoting their integration within the matrix. Such composite materials are used in a variety of applications including electrical contacts, components for the automotive industries, magnets, and electromagnetic interference shielding., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A combined method of precipitation, phase transfer into organic solvent, solvothermal treatment and subsequent in situ polymerization was used to integrate nanocrystalline Bi2MoO6- and Bi2WO6-particles into a polymer matrix of poly-laurylacrylate. The presented method offers a new and gentle way to produce highly transparent bulk nanocomposites containing evenly distributed Bi2MoO6- and Bi2WO6-nanoparticles. Characterization results of DLS-, XRD-, REM- and TEM-measurements are presented as well as solid state UV/VIS-measurements of the particles. The transparent nanocomposites were characterized using UV/VIS-spectroscopy and ellipsometry. All composites show a good transmission in the range from 800-400 nm. The particle content of the nanocomposites was measured with TG-measurements.