Synthesis and characterization of end-functional polymers on silica nanoparticles via a combination of atom transfer radical polymerization and click chemistry

This article describes a divergent strategy to prepare grafted polymer chains with functional end groups for surface modification of nanoparticles with other functional groups. This preparation is achieved through a combination of surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and click chemistry. First, the surface of the silica nanoparticles was modified with polystyrene (PSt) brushes via the “grafting from” approach. The terminal bromides of PSt-grafted silica nanoparticles were then substituted with azido groups. These azido-terminated PSt brushes on the nanoparticle surface were reacted with various alkyne-terminated functional end groups via click reactions. In all cases, FTIR and 1H NMR spectra indicated quantitative transformation of the chain ends of polystyrene brushes on silica nanoparticles into the desired functional group.