Synthesis of bifunctional polymer nanotubes from silicon nanowire templates via atom transfer radical polymerization

Martin J Mulvihill; Benjamin L Rupert; Rongrui He; Allon Hochbaum; John Arnold; Peidong Yang

doi:10.1021/ja056242m

Synthesis of bifunctional polymer nanotubes from silicon nanowire templates via atom transfer radical polymerization

J Am Chem Soc. 2005 Nov 23;127(46):16040-1. doi: 10.1021/ja056242m.

Authors

Martin J Mulvihill¹, Benjamin L Rupert, Rongrui He, Allon Hochbaum, John Arnold, Peidong Yang

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

PMID: 16287287
DOI: 10.1021/ja056242m

Abstract

As a way to control the surface properties of nanowires and nanotubes, we present a method for growing polymer from the surface of silicon/silica core/shell nanowires. After modification of nanowire surfaces with polymer initiators, Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) was used to grow methacrylate polymer chains from the surface. The resulting structures were characterized by SEM, TEM, and EELS. After etching the silicon cores, the resulting polymer-coated nanotubes will have hydrophilic silica cores with hydrophobic polymer shells.