Preparation of poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate functionalized carbon nanotubes as novel biomaterial nanocomposites

We report a simple method for the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with a biomedically important polymer, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)), by chemical grafting of HEMA monomer followed by free radical polymerization. The nanotubes were first oxidized with a mixture of conc. nitric acid and sulfuric acid (1:3), in order to obtain carboxylic acid functionalized MWNTs. Then the grafting of HEMA on to the surface of MWNTs was carried by chemical functionalization of HEMA with acid chloride-bound nanotubes by esterification reaction. FT-IR was used to identify functionalization of -COOH and HEMA groups attached to the surface of the nanotubes. The presence of poly(HEMA) on the nanotubes were confirmed by FESEM, TEM, and TGA analyses. Additionally, the dispersibility of the polymer functionalized nanotubes in methanol was also demonstrated. Considering the biomedical importance of poly(HEMA) and the recent successful in vivo studies on CNTs, in future, these materials are expected to be useful in the pharmaceutical industry as novel biomaterials composites with potential applications in drug delivery.