The "Grafting-to" of Well-Defined Polystyrene on Graphene Oxide via Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization

• Published in: Macromolecular chemistry and physics Vol. 217; no. 19; pp. 2099 - 2106
• Main Authors: García-Valdez, Omar, Ledezma-Rodríguez, Raquel, Torres-Lubian, Román, Yate, Luis, Saldívar-Guerra, Enrique, Ziolo, Ronald F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Fourier transforms; Grafting; grafting-to approach; Graphene; graphene nanocomposites; Infrared spectroscopy; nitroxide-mediated polymerization; Nuclear reactions; Oxides; Polymerization; Polystyrene resins
• ISSN: 1022-1352; 1521-3935
• DOI: 10.1002/macp.201600230

The grafting of well‐defined polystyrene to graphene oxide (GO) using nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP) is demonstrated by a two‐step reaction. In the first step, GO is functionalized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) to yield GO‐GMA. Polystyrene (PS), previously synthesized via SG1‐based NMP, is then grafted to GO‐GMA by a simple reaction between the SG1 end group and the GMA double bond to yield GO‐GMA‐g‐PS. 1H, heteronuclear single‐quantum correlation (HSQC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) are consistent with attachment of the GMA group to the GO surface and with polystyrene being grafted to the GO surface to form the GO‐GMA‐g‐PS nanocomposite (NC). GPC analysis shows a number‐average molecular weight of 3330 g mol−1 for the PS with molecular weight dispersity (Ð) of 1.13. Up to 28 mass% of PS has been introduced into the GO NC. The present “grafting‐to” methodology holds promise for the facile and clean synthesis of graphene oxide polymer NCs. A simple and facile technique for the “grafting‐to” of well‐defined polystyrene prepared by nitroxide mediated polymerization onto the surface of graphene oxide is presented. The polymer to be grafted is previously synthesized and characterized to guarantee that the desired polymer structure to be grafted is obtained. The technique can be easily extended to other polymers.