Surface modification of carbon nanotubes by using iron-mediated activators generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization

Yingjie Wang; Chun Tian; Hongjuan Jiang; Lifen Zhang; Xiulin Zhu

doi:10.1039/c8ra00988k

Surface modification of carbon nanotubes by using iron-mediated activators generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization

RSC Adv. 2018 Mar 21;8(20):11150-11156. doi: 10.1039/c8ra00988k. eCollection 2018 Mar 16.

Authors

Yingjie Wang¹, Chun Tian¹, Hongjuan Jiang^{1

2}, Lifen Zhang¹, Xiulin Zhu^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University Suzhou 215123 China zhanglifen@suda.edu.cn jianghongjuan@126.com +86-512-65882787 +86-512-65882787.
² Changzhou Huake Polymers Co., Ltd. No. 602 Yulong Road, Xinbei District Changzhou 213125 China.
³ Global Institute of Soft Technology No. 5 Qingshan Road, Suzhou National Hi-Tech District Suzhou 215163 China.

Abstract

Herein, a surface-initiated activator generated by electron transfer for an atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP) system was developed on the surface of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by using FeCl₃·6H₂O as the catalyst, tris-(3,6-dioxoheptyl) amine (TDA-1) as the ligand and ascorbic acid (AsAc) as the reducing agent. A wide range of polymers, such as polystyrene (PS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA), were successfully grafted onto the surfaces. The core-shell structure of MWCNTs@PS was observed by TEM. Both Raman spectra and the results of hydrolysis of MWCNTs@PS (after extraction by THF) confirmed that the PS chains were covalently tethered onto the surfaces of the MWCNTs. Due to superior biocompatibility of the iron catalyst, the strategy of modification of MWCNTs via iron-mediated AGET ATRP provided a promising method for the controllable and biocompatible modification of nanomaterials.