Modifying graphite oxide with grafted methyl acrylate brushes for the attachment of magnetite nanoparticles

Surface-grafted polymer brushes of methyl acrylate of graphite oxide (GO) have been constructed to anchor poly(amidoamine) 2.0G (PAMAM 2.0G) dendrites for the attachment of magnetite nanoparticles. Monomers of methyl acrylate were copolymerized on the GO sheets by atom transfer radical polymerization. Then the PAMAM 2.0G was attached via covalent bond at the end of the grafted chains. Thus the inexpensive Fe(III) of ferric trichloride could coordinate with the remaining amino groups of PAMAM 2.0G and were reduced by the added sodium borohydrite at appropriate pH value to obtain nano magnetite-decorated GO hybrid materials. The hybrids exhibited a powerful catalysis on the degradation of aqueous solutions of hydroquinone.