A convenient method for preparation of polystyrene-single-walled carbon nanotubes by metal-catalyzed living radical polymerization method

In this research, a new direction for functionalizing of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) via the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method was utilized. SWCNTs were grafted with polystyrene (PSt) by the in situ ATRP method, in the presence of alpha-phenyl chloro acetylated SWCNT. This functional SWCNT was synthesized by the reaction between alpha-phenyl chloro acetyl chloride and a hydroxylated SWCNT that was obtained by reduction of a carboxylated SWCNT by lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4). Oxidation, reduction and coupling reactions of SWCNTs were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and polymerization of styrene from SWCNTs surfaces was illustrated by transfer electron microscopy (TEM). Thermal properties of attached polymers onto SWCNTs surfaces were investigated by thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis.