Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.33, No.23, 2029-2034, 2012
Arrangement of C60 via the Self-Assembly of Post-Functionalizable Polyisocyanate Block Copolymer
Poly(furfuryl isocyanate) (PFIC), which includes the reactive furan group, was synthesized by anionic polymerization using a sodium benzhydroxide (Na-BH), self-assembly initiator. We determined the optimum polymerization conditions by varying both the reaction time and the molar ratio of the monomer to the initiator. Block copolymer, poly(furfuryl isocyanate)-b-poly(n-hexyl isocyanate), was synthesized under optimized polymerization conditions. The PFIC was modified by DielsAlder reactions with C60 for functionalization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to study the self-assembly of block copolymers and modified block copolymer with C60. C60 formed highly ordered aggregates on the PFIC domains via self-assembly of the block copolymer.