Rare-earth metal-mediated group-transfer polymerization (REM-GTP) offers distinctive features over common polymerization techniques, such as living character, a broad scope of functional monomers, high activity, excellent control of the polymeric parameters as well as inherent chain-end functionalization. Through the latter, polymers with reactive end-groups become feasible, opening the pathway for further post-polymerization functionalization. In this study, a straightforward graft-to immobilization of the Michael-type polymer poly(diethyl vinylphosphonate) (PDEVP) on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) is reported. Hence, a customized azide initiator is synthesized and studied in the C-H bond activation with various lanthanide-based catalysts and the subsequent polymerization of diethyl vinylphosphonate (DEVP). The successful attachment of the azide end-group is demonstrated via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and the synthesized polymers are subjected to immobilization on multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a graft-to approach. The prepared MWCNT:PDEVP composites are analyzed via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental analysis (EA), Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the versatility of this approach is shown via the stabilization of MWCNT dispersions in water.
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