A new ferrocene/disulfide-containing methacrylate monomer: Synthesis, ATRP and nanocomposite

A new methacrylate monomer containing ferrocene unit and disulfide bond, 2-((2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)disulfanyl)ethyl ferrocenecarboxylate (FcMAss), was prepared by subsequent esterification reaction with bis(2-hydroxyethyl) disulfide and methacryloyl chloride using ferrocenecarboxylic acid as starting material. A series of well-defined poly(2-((2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)disulfanyl)ethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) (PFcMAss) homopolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn < 1.30) was then obtained by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of FcMAss monomer in toluene. Block copolymerization of FcMAss monomer was initiated by PEG-Br macroinitiator in THF to afford a poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(2-((2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)disulfanyl)ethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) (PEG-b-PFcMAss) diblock copolymer with a relatively low dispersity (Mw/Mn = 1.34). Graphene oxide (GO)-based nanocomposite, GO-PFcMAss, was prepared by surface-initiated ATRP of FcMAss via the grafting-from strategy, using GO-based macroinitiator obtained by treating tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (TRIS)-modified GO with 2-bromo-2-methylpropionyl bromide. The nanocomposite was characterized by FT-IR and XPS, and showed excellent dispersibility and colloidal stability.