Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization ATRP Approach to Polymer-grafted CNTs

1 Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) Approach to Polymer-grafted CNTs 

Recently, Gao and co-workers developed a facile approach to the functionalization of MWCNTs and SWCNTs via nitrene chemistry, and functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl and amino could be immobilized 

Nitrene chemistry approach to functionalize CNTs (top), and representative TEM images (bottom) of pristine (p-) MWCNTs (a) and hydroxyl-functionalized MWCNTs (MWCNT-OH) (b ). Other functionalized CNTs (f-CNTs) showed similar TEM images to the MWCNT-OH. Reprinted with permission from Gao et al 

Among three common classes of monomers including (meth)acrylates, styrenics and acrylamides, (meth)acrylates were the most widely used because various functional polymers with hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino and other groups can be facilely obtained from the corresponding functional (meth)acrylate monomers, except the commonly used monomers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and u-butyl methacrylate ( -BMA). 

Interestingly, the THF dispersion of PMMA-grafted MWCNTs brushes (MWCNT-g-PMMA, 85 wt% polymer) could self-assemble into suprastructures 

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