Figure 1

(a) Raman spectra of pristine PDMS (black curve) and PDMS nanocomposite with Nd_xY_1−xAl₃(BO₃)₄ (PCx) with a 633 nm pump laser. Also shown are nanoparticles and YAl₃(BO₃)₄ without PDMS (dark yellow and light blue lines respectively). Noted in the figures are (1) Si–O–Si Symmetric stretch peak at 487 cm⁻¹, (2) the Si–CH₃ symmetric rocking at 687 cm⁻¹, and (3) the Si–CH₃ symmetric bending 1260–1400 cm⁻¹, (b) TEM Images of PDMS composites with ultrafine particle incorporated with PDMS, (c) energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of PC0.8. The inset shows an SEM image of the sample with 5 µm scale.