Light‐driven atom transfer radical polymerization on supramolecular complexes of conjugated polymers and single‐walled carbon nanotubes. Issue 19 (6th August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fong, Darryl; Yeung, Jason; Lang, Alice; Adronov, Alex
• Is Part Of: Journal of polymer science. Volume 57:Issue 19(2019)
• Page Start: 2015
• Page End: 2020
• Publication Date: 2019-08-06
• Subjects: atom transfer radical polymerization -- carbon nanotubes -- conjugated polymers -- functionalization -- grafting‐from -- graft copolymers; 547
• DOI: 10.1002/pola.29454
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-624X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Previous approaches used to decorate latently reactive conjugated polymer‐coated carbon nanotube complexes have utilized "grafting‐to" strategies. Here, we coat the carbon nanotube surface with a conjugated polymer whose side chains contain the radical initiator, α‐bromoisobutyrate, which enables atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from the polymer–nanotube surface. Using light to generate Cu(I) in situ, ATRP is used to grow narrow dispersity polymer chains from the polymer–nanotube surface. We confirm the successful polymerization of (meth)acrylates from the polymer–nanotube surface using a combination of gel permeation chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. Strikingly, we demonstrate that nanotube optoelectronic properties are preserved after radical‐mediated polymer grafting using Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence mapping. Overall, this work elucidates a method to grow narrow dispersity polymer chains from the polymer–nanotube surface using light‐driven radical chemistry, with concurrent preservation of nanotube optoelectronic properties. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2015–2020 Abstract : Light‐driven atom transfer radical polymerization enables narrow dispersity polymer grafting from the surface of conjugated polymer‐coated single‐walled carbon nanotubes, as well as a radical process that does not perturb the nanotube optoelectronic properties.