SURFACE ENGINEERING OF POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES BY CONTROLLED RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

Abstract

The design and synthesis of nano-engineered materials with precise control over material composition, architecture and functionality is integral to advances in diverse fields. Recent development in the techniques of functional polymeric nanomaterials such as controlled radical polymerization (CRP) has opened up a new horizon to provide cascades of novel hybrid nanomaterials for versatile applications. CRP, especially atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible additionfragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, has been demonstrated as a powerful strategy for synthesizing well-controlled macromolecules.
The resulted organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures encompassed in this dissertation show their huge promise towards mechanical, electrical, optical, imaging, biomedical and actuating applications. Above all, these versatile techniques for surface functionalization of nanomaterials by polymers offer indispensible tools for the future development and application of these materials and structures.