A Facile Strategy for Synthesis of Well-defined Polypropylenegrafted-polystyrene /MMT Nanocomposite Using Reversible Addition: Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization and Solution Intercalated Method

A simple and easy synthetic route for preparing PP-g-PSt/O-MMt nanocomposite was synthesized using a combination of ring-opening polymerization and reversible addition– fragmentation chain transfer polymerization techniques. Firstly, MAH (maleic anhydride) was reacted with PP (polypropylene) followed by the opening of an anhydride ring with ethanolamine to obtain a hydroxyl group including polypropylene (iPP-OH). Secondly, the produced PP-OH was treated with 4-cyano-4-[(phenylcarbothioyl) sulfanyl] pentanoic acid– to synthesize of PP-RAFT macroinitiator. Then, the styrene monomer was grafted onto PP using RAFT approach to produce a well-defined (PP-g-PSt) copolymer. Finally, Polymer/clay nanocomposite was synthesized through a solution intercalation method. The successful synthesis of all materials was proved using FT-IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The structural morphology and thermal properties of the grafted copolymer /O-MMT nanocomposite were examined using SEM, TGA, and DSC. This approach employed via the RAFT method is an easy and alternative strategy for synthesizing new materials.