Abstract
In polymer chemistry, polymerization constitutes the process of the conversion of monomers into polymers using an initiator to form polymeric chains. There are many polymerization techniques and different systems exist by which the polymers are classified. Recently, our group has reported the synthesis of polymers using both carbon dots (CDs) and UV light as initiators. In these reports, the carbon dots were used with or without UV light. The CDs produce free radicals in the presence of UV light, indicating their role as initiators. The CD surface has many unshared or unpaired electrons, making it negatively charged. The present study focuses on the use of CDs for the formation of polymers from monomers containing various functional group. The properties of the synthesized CDs and the polymers obtained from the various monomers were characterized by various analytical techniques, including Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Solid-State NMR spectroscopy. This polymerization technique is of interest both from the scientific aspect and for its applicative potential. The synthesized polymers were investigated for their various applications.