CONSTRUCTING POLYSTYRENE BRUSHES ON TIO2 NANOPARTICLES BY IN SITU REVERSIBLE ADDITION FRAGMENTATION CHAIN TRANSFER POLYMERIZATION

Abstract

This paper presents the preparation of polystyrene functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles using the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The surface of TiO2 NPs with an average particle size of about 5 nm was modified by S-benzyl S’-trimethoxysilylpropyltrithiocarbonate in order to obtain the RAFT agent functionalized TiO2 NPs (TiO2-RAFT). Subsequently, styrene was radically polymerized through the immobilized RAFT agent on the silica surface, in the presence of 2,2’-azobisisobutylnitrile (AIBN) as an initiator, to achieve the TiO2-g-PS nanocomposite. The characteristics of the as-synthesized nanocomposite were determined using FT-IR, EDX, XPS, TGA, XRD, TEM and SEM analyses.