title: Study of the activity of Grubbs catalyst-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the ring opening metathesis polymerization.
abstract: The synthesis of polynorbornene by ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), in the presence of 1st and 2nd generation Grubbs catalyst-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), has been studied. MWCNTs were obtained by catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) of ethylene. A full characterization of the 1st and 2nd generation Grubbs catalyst-functionalized nanotubes was performed by FTIR and TG-DTG-MS. The amount of catalyst grafted to the nanotube surface was estimated. The activity of the catalyst-functionalized nanotubes in ROMP of 2-norbornene was found to be similar to that of bare 1st and 2nd generation Grubbs catalysts. The characterization of polynorbornene-carbon nanotube composites shows that the nanotubes are well dispersed in the polymer matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, NANO_MATES, Research Centre for Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, University of Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (Sa), Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costabile
authors.forename: Fabia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grisi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siniscalchi
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarno
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sannino
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciambelli