Synthesis and characterization of poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid)/Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite using reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

A well-defined, amphiphilic poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid) (PSt-b-PAA) block copolymer to prepare a magnetic nanocomposite was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The synthesized PSt and PSt-b-PAA copolymer were characterized using FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopies as well as GPC analysis. Afterward, a PSt-b-PAA/Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite was fabricated through the incorporation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) into the synthesized block copolymer. The morphology of the fabricated magnetic nanocomposite was observed using SEM and TEM. The SEM image revealed that the PSt-b-PAA/Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite has spherical morphology with the mean diameter of 100 nm approximately. In addition the thermal properties of the synthesized polymers as well as magnetic nanocomposite were studied using DSC and TGA analysis. The developed nanocomposite may be applied for enzyme immobilization and cell separation.