ABSTRACT The grafting of copolymers containing vinyl ferrocene (Vf) moieties, such as copolymer of Vf with methyl methacrylate [poly(Vf-co-MMA)] or styrene [poly (Vf-co-St)], onto the surface of nanocarbons, such as graphitized micro diamond (GpD) and carbon nanotube (CNT), was successfully carried out by ligand-exchange reaction of ferrocene moieties of these copolymers with graphene structure of GpD and CNT in the presence of AlCl3 and Al powder as catalysts. The grafting of the copolymers onto these nanocarbons was confirmed by FT-IR, thermal decomposition gas chromatograph/mass spectra (GC/MS), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The percentage of grafting of poly(Vf-co-MMA) onto GpD and CNT was determined to be 32.2% and 28.4%, respectively. Then, the immobilization of CNT on the surface of GpD by the reaction of poly(Vf-co-MMA)-grafted CNT [CNT-g-poly (Vf-co-MMA)], previously prepared, with GpD in the presence of the catalysts was examined. As a result, CNT was immobilized (grafted) on the GpD surface to give GpD decorated with CNT (CNT@GpD (1)). In addition, CNT@GpD (2) was obtained by the ligand-exchange reaction of GpD-g-poly(Vf-co-MMA) with CNT. CNT@GpD (3) was prepared by one-step ligand-exchange reaction in the coexistence of poly(Vf-co-MMA), GpD, and CNT, in the presence of the catalysts. The amount of immobilized CNT on CNT@GpD (1), CNT@GpD (2), and CNT@GpD (3) was determined to be 40 wt%, 55 wt%, and 14 wt%, respectively, by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, the immobilization of CNT onto carbon micro beads (CNT@CMB) and carbon fiber (CNT@CF) was also achieved by the use of the same ligand-exchange reaction of poly(Vf-co-MMA). The silica nanoparticle-immobilized CMB and CF (Silica@CMB and Silica@CF) was obtained by the ligand-exchange reaction of Silica-g-poly(Vf-co-MMA), which was prepared by the radical graft copolymerization of Vf with MMA initiated by azo groups introduced onto the surface, with CF and CMB.
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