Preparation of Polypropylene/Glycidyl Methacrylate Modified n-TiO2-PMMA Composites via the RAFT Process: Grafting “Through” Surface-Modified Nanoparticles

Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), a functionalized agent that can chemically link to TiO2 nanomaterial (n-TiO2), was used to modify the surface of n-TiO2 via a Ti-ethereal bond, yielding a GMA-modified n-TiO2 (mn-TiO2). Then the GMA bonded to the TiO2 surface was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) via a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization in the presence of the RAFT agent S-1-dodecyl-S′-(α, α′- dimethyl -α″-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate (DDACT) to form mn-TiO2-PMMA nanoparticles. The resulting mn-TiO2 nanoparticles and mn-TiO2-PMMA nanoparticle materials were characterized by using infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermal analysis, and electron microscopy. The mn-TiO2 nanoparticles demonstrated good dispersive capacity in organic solvents. The results of TGA indicated that the amount of PMMA grafted onto the surface of TiO2 increased with the polymerization time. Additonally, the effects of mn-TiO2/PMMA on the thermal and mechanical properties of polypropylene were studied.