Catechol Derivative RAFT Agent for Surface Functionalization of Magnetic Nanoparticles

Functional nanoparticles (NPs), Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -PMEMA, were prepared via surface initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, using catechol-based biomimetic RAFT agent incorporating a trithiocarbonate unit and 2- N -morpholinoethyl methacrylate (MEMA) as the monomer. Poly(2- N -morpholinoethyl methacrylate) (PMEMA) were synthesized on biomimetic RAFT agent functionalized Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs surface. The prepared NPs were characterized at the different modification stages using attenuated total reflectance -Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The magnetic properties of NPs were also determined by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).