Precise synthesis of polymer brushes to modify the surface of nanoparticles and nanodevices for targeted applications has been one of the major focuses in the community for decades. Here we report a self-assembly-assisted-grafting-to approach to synthesize polymer brushes on flat substrates. In this method, polymers are pre-assembled into two-dimensional polymer single crystals (PSCs) with func...

a simple ion imprinted amino-functionalized sorbent was synthesized by coupling activated carbon with iminodiacetic acid, a functional compound for metal chelating, through cyanoric chloride spacer. the resulting sorbent has been characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ft-ir), elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (tga) and evaluated for the preconcentration and de...

Radiation grafting of monomers on polymers is radical polymerization which usually takes place in viscous medium and quite often in a micro-heterogeneous semicrystalline matrix. The role of kinetic and structural factors in the graft polymerization was investigated. Grafting of styrene on polyethylene and polypropylene was initiated by radiation methods (direct irradiation of polymer and monome...

EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF POLYMER FUNCTIONALITY ON THE ACTIVITY AND STABILITY OF LYSOZYME AND CELLULASE CONJUGATES by Melissa Eileen Dougherty Biomacromolecules made by covalent attachment of polymers to the surfaces of proteins are an interesting area of research with significant applications in drug therapies and growing interest in energy and nanotechnology. Protein-polymer conjugates are typ...

Organic/inorganic nanohybrid materials have attracted particular scientific and technological interest because they combine the properties of the organic and the inorganic component. Inorganic nanoparticles exhibit interesting electrical, optical, magnetic and/or catalytic properties, which are related with their nano-scale dimensions. However, their high surface-to-volume ratio often induces a...

The present investigation highlights the feasibility of a polymer grafting process to enhance the durability and flame retardancy of rice straw towards application as a low cost roofing material. The success of this grafting methodology was perceived to depend upon a bi-step pre-treatment process encompassing delignification and inorganic salts dispersion. Subsequently free radical polymer graf...

A recent increase in the use of biofibers as low-cost and renewable reinforcement for the polymer biocomposites has been seen globally. Biofibers are classified into: lignocellulosic fibers (i.e., cellulose, wood and natural fibers), nanocellulose (i.e., cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibrils), and bacterial cellulose, while polymer matrix materials can be petroleum based or bio-based...

Polypropylene (PP) has poor adhesion to metals and other surfaces for its chemical structure. Hence, chemical modification of PP is necessary for metal surface coating application. In this research, grafting of maleic anhydride (MA) onto co(propylene-b-ethylene) in the presence of a dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was accomplished in a single screw extruder. Characteristics of the modified polymer were ...

We study the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior of associating polymer brushes (i.e., poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) using classical density functional theory. Without using any empirical or temperature-dependent parameters, we find the phase transition of polymer brushes from extended to collapsed structure with increasing temperature, indicating the LCST behavior of polymer bru...

This paper focuses on the attachment of densely grafted polymer layers (polymer brushes) to various inorganic and polymeric substrates by the "grafting to" method. A brief overview of synthesis of polymer brushes by the method is first provided, with emphasis on chemical approaches to polymer attachment. The second part of the paper covers the synthesis of polymer layers via a recently develope...