Abstract
Chromium disilicide (CrSi2) particles were synthesized by arc melting furnace followed by mechanical milling. XRD and DLS analyses show that aggregates of around 3 µm containing about 10 nm sized crystallites were obtained. These aggregates were functionalized in solution by coupling agents with different anchoring groups (silane, phosphonic acid, alkene and thiol) in order to disperse them into an organic polymer. Dodecene was used to modify CrSi2 surface during mecano-synthesis in a grinding bowl with quite little solvent quantity and the optimization step allowed to reduce the aggregates size to 500 nm. A thermoelectric composite was then made between alkene CrSi2 grafted samples and poly(p-phénylène-2,6-benzobisoxazole). This study opens the route of new surface grafting of intermetallic silicides for applications linked to electronic and/or energy.