Efficient approaches for the surface modification of platinum nanoparticles via click chemistry

International audienceHybrid nanoparticles based on platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) are of great interest for applications in fuel cells or as biosensors. Polymer chains covalently attached to the PtNPs may improve both the (bio)compatibility, solubility, and stability of the PtNPs, without inhibiting their electrochemical properties. First, we performed a copper(I)-catalyzed azide−alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) "grafting to" method to graft either poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) or poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) onto PtNPs to create new hybrid nanoparticles with a biocompatible corona. Second, we combined both surface-atom transfer radical polymerization "grafting from" copolymerization of azide-functionalized monomers and CuAAC "grafting to" coupling of PEG or PCL to construct more complex polymer architectures. These approaches afforded a large library of nanostructures with varying chemical nature, microstructure, radius, and morphology of the polymer corona. Infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and more detailed SANS experiments proved that these methodologies are simple, efficient, and wide in scope for the preparation of highly functional metal nanoparticles with tunable properties