Surface functionalization of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles via RAFT-mediated graft polymerization

Surface functionalization of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) via living radical graft polymerization with styrene and acrylic acid (AAc) in the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated process was reported. Peroxides and hydroperoxides generated on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles via ozone pretreatment facilitated the thermally initiated graft polymerization in the RAFT-mediated process. A comparison of the MNP before and after the RAFT-mediated process was carried out using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to determine the molecular weight of the free homopolymer in the reaction mixture. Well-defined polymer chains were grown from the MNP surfaces to yield particles with a Fe3O4 core and a polymer outer layer. The resulting core-shell Fe3O4-g-polystyrene and Fe3O4-g-poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) nanoparticles formed stable dispersions in the organic solvents for polystyrene (PS) and PAAc, respectively.