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Updated: Nov 7, 2025

Grafting Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Polystyrene to Enable Self-Assembly and Anisotropic Patchiness
Published on: April 1, 2018
Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with End-Capped Polystyrene via a Single-Step Diels-Alder
Maria-Malvina Stathouraki1, Christos Pantazidis1, Emmanouil Mygiakis1
1Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece.
Abstract:
A facile, single-step, [4+2] Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction for the surface functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with end-capped polystyrene chains is presented. The thermal cycloaddition reaction took place at high temperature (~230 °C) without any catalyst between the sp2 network of carbon nanotubes, which acted as dienophile, and the diphenylethylene cyclobutene (DPE-CB) terminal group of the polystyrene chain. Anionic polymerization was employed for the synthesis of the polystyrene macromolecule, and successful and quantitative end-capping reaction with the DPE-CB molecule was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed the wt % of the grafted macromolecule on the CNT surface as well as the grafting density of the polymer chains on the SWNTs (0.027 chains nm-2). Direct evidence for the surface functionalization and the presence of thin polystyrene film was obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and by atomic force microscopy (AFM).
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