Functionalization of Aluminum Nanoparticles Using a Combination of Aryl Diazonium Salt Chemistry and Iniferter Method

In this work, we propose an original strategy for the functionalization of aluminum nanoparticles (Al NPs), based on a combination of aryl diazonium salt chemistry and the photopolymerization iniferter method. It consists in grafting coupling agents, derived from diazonium salts, at the surface of Al NPs and in initiating the photopolymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) directly from the surface. The hybrid NPs were fully characterized using XRD, TEM, TGA, and XPS. The results show that the obtained hybrids exhibit a core-double shell structure, the metallic core being preserved while a thin natural oxide layer and a strongly anchored organic shell surround it. The controlled and living character of the photopolymerization process allowed for the control of the polymer shell thickness with the polymerization time. Interestingly, the formation of compact aryl layers derived from the diazonium salts at the surface of Al NPs appears to provide an efficient protection against oxidation.