No abstract

An efficient and novel one-pot process is developed to immobilize the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiators onto the surface of fully pyrolyzed carbon hard spheres (CHSs) via a radical trapping process from the in situ thermal decomposition of bis(bromomethylbenzoyl)-peroxide. The CHSs do not require any additional preparative treatment prior to the initiator immobilization. Styrene and methyl methacrylate are polymerized onto initiator-immobilized CHSs by surface-initiated atomic transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Samples are characterized using Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.These methods of characterization confirmed that all the CHSs are coated with a uniform layer of grafted polymer. This efficient, one-pot immobilization of ATRP-initiators represents an exceptionally simple route for the rapid preparation of various polymer-coated carbon-based nanomaterials using SI-ATRP.