Amine functionalization of cellulose surface grafted with glycidyl methacrylate by γ-initiated RAFT polymerization

•Ethylenediamine (EDA) was immobilized to cellulose-g-PGMA copolymers.•FTIR, XPS, SEM, EA and CA measurements were used for characterization.•The useful qualities of the RAFT were combined with the versatility of PGMA.

This study presents the functionalization of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) grafted cellulose filter paper by a model compound, ethylenediamine (EDA), through the epoxy groups of PGMA. Cellulose based copolymers were prepared via the radiation-induced and RAFT-mediated graft polymerization. The samples were characterized by ATR–FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), elemental analysis, contact angle measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An efficient modification density of around 1 mmol EDA/mg copolymer was attained within ca. 8 h, indicating that chemical composition of well-defined copolymers may further be tuned by appropriately selecting the reactive agents for use in many emerging fields.