Fabrication of Pt nanoparticle incorporated polymer nanowires by high energy ion and electron beam irradiation

• PVP nanowires containing Pt NPs were formed by ion beam irradiation.
• Increasing the precursor of Pt NPs led to decreasing the radius of nanowires.
• Additional electron beam is useful to control the local cross-linking reactions.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)–Pt nanoparticles (NPs) hybrid nanowires were fabricated by high energy ion beam irradiation to PVP thin films including H2PtCl6. Single ion hitting caused crosslinking reactions of PVP and reduction of Pt ions within local cylindrical area along an ion trajectory (ion track); therefore, the PVP nanowires including Pt NPs were formed and isolated on Si substrate after wet-development procedure. The number of Pt NPs was easily controlled by the mixed ratio of PVP and H2PtCl6. However, increasing the amount of H2PtCl6 led to decreasing the radial size and separation of the hybrid nanowires during the wet-development. Additional electron beam irradiation after ion beam improved separation of the nanowires and controlled radial sizes due to an increase in the density of crosslinking points inner the nanowires.