@article{2722766560f544578134a776c192a878,
title = "Semiconductor Quantum Dots Are Efficient and Recyclable Photocatalysts for Aqueous PET-RAFT Polymerization",
abstract = "This Letter describes the use of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) as photocatalysts for photoinduced electron transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization of a series of aqueous acrylamides and acrylates. The high colloidal solubility and photostability of these QDs allowed polymerization to occur with high efficiency (>90% conversion in 2.5 h), low dispersity (PDI < 1.1), and ultralow catalyst loading (<0.5 ppm). The use of protein concentrators enabled the removal of the photocatalyst from the polymer and monomer with tolerable metal contamination (8.41 ug/g). These isolated QDs could be recycled for four separate polymerizations without a significant decrease in efficiency. By changing the pore size of the protein concentrators, the QDs and polymer could be separated from the remaining monomer, allowing for the synthesis of block copolymers using a single batch of QDs with minimal purification steps and demonstrating the fidelity of chain ends.",
author = "McClelland, {Kevin P.} and Clemons, {Tristan D.} and Stupp, {Samuel I.} and Weiss, {Emily A.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported as part of the Center for Light Energy-Activated Redox Processes (LEAP), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award # DE-SC0001059. Metal analysis was performed at the Northwestern University Quantitative Bioelement Imaging Center generously supported by NASA Ames Research Center Grant NNA04CC36G. This work made use of the Keck-II facility of Northwestern University{\textquoteright}s NUANCE Center, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205); the MRSEC Program (NSF DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center; the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); the Keck Foundation; and the State of Illinois, through the IIN. K.P.M. acknowledges a graduate fellowship through the National Science Foundation (Award # DGE-1324585). T.D.C. acknowledges funding support from an American Australian Association Dow Chemical Company Fellowship. The authors would like to thank Professor Nathan C. Gianneschi for the use of his GPC. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2019 American Chemical Society.",
year = "2020",
month = jan,
day = "21",
doi = "10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00891",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "9",
pages = "7--13",
journal = "ACS Macro Letters",
issn = "2161-1653",
publisher = "American Chemical Society",
number = "1",
}