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Efficient Grafting of Hyperbranched Polyglycerol from Hydroxyl‐Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes by Surface‐Initiated Anionic Ring‐Opening Polymerization
Author(s) -
Zhou Li,
Gao Chao,
Xu Weijian
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.200900134
Subject(s) - glycidol , polymer chemistry , grafting , polymerization , carbon nanotube , surface modification , materials science , conjugated system , covalent bond , ring opening polymerization , chemistry , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , polymer , nanotechnology , catalysis , engineering
Biocompatible hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) has been covalently grafted from the surfaces of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by the “grafting from” method based on in situ anionic ring‐opening polymerization. The macroinitiator of hydroxyl‐functionalized MWNTs (MWNT‐OH) with hydroxyl density of 1.39 mmol per gram of nanotubes was prepared by one‐pot nitrene chemistry in N ‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) at 160 °C for 12 h. The amount of HPG grafted from MWNTs can be readily adjusted in a wide range up to 90.8wt.‐% by tuning the feed ratio of glycidol to MWNT‐OH. The resulting HPG‐grafted MWNTs (MWNT‐ g ‐HPG) nanohybrids were characterized by TGA, FT‐IR, and NMR spectroscopy, HRTEM, and SEM. The as‐prepared nanohybrids show good dispersibility in polar solvents such as water, DMF, DMSO, and methanol. On the basis of numerous functional hydroxyl groups of the HPG grown on MWNTs, fluorescent molecules of rhodamine 6B were conjugated to the surface of MWNT‐ g ‐HPG by N , N ′‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) coupling, affording fluorescent MWNTs. The multifunctional MWNT‐ g ‐HPG nanohybrids promise potential applications in drug delivery, cell imaging and bioprobing.