Covalent Functionalization of Silica Nanoparticle with Poly(glycidyl methacrylate) via ATRP at Ambient Temperature

Abstract

The silica nanoparticle was covalently functionalized with toluene-2,4-diisocyanate to prepare the functionalized silica nanoparticle containing isocyanate group. Here, the isocyanate group on the functionalized silica nanoparticle have been further derivatized with water and 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide consecutively resulting in the attachment of atom transfer radical polymerization initiators to the surface of the silica nanoparticle. These silica nanoparticle based macroinitiators were used to initiate polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate at ambient temperature in aqueous media. Thus, structurally well-defined poly(glycidyl methacrylate) was grown from the silica nanoparticle surface to yield individual hybrids composed of a silica core and a well-defined, densely grafted outer poly(glycidyl methacrylate) via atom transfer radical polymerization. FTIR spectroscopy was utilized to follow the covalent functionalization of silica nanoparticle and showed the formation of resulting hybrid particle.