Catechol Derivative RAFT Agent for Surface Functionalization of Magnetic Nanoparticles

Abstract

Functional nanoparticles (NPs), Fe3O4@SiO2-PMEMA, were prepared via surface initiated reversibleaddition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, using catechol-based biomimetic RAFTagent incorporating a trithiocarbonate unit and 2-N-morpholinoethyl methacrylate (MEMA) as themonomer. Poly(2-N-morpholinoethyl methacrylate) (PMEMA) were synthesized on biomimetic RAFTagent functionalized Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs surface. The prepared NPs were characterized at the differentmodification stages using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Xrayphotoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) andtransmission electron microscope (TEM). The magnetic properties of NPs were also determined byvibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).