Bioinspired Polydopamine (PDA) Chemistry Meets Ordered Mesoporous Carbons (OMCs): A Benign Surface Modification Strategy for Versatile Functionalization

Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) chemistry was employed for the surface modification of ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs), improving the hydrophilicity, binding ability toward uranium ions, as well as enriching chemical reactivity for diverse postfunctionalization by either surface grafting or surface-initiated polymerization. Uniform PDA coating was deposited on the surface of CMK-3 type OMCs via self-polymerization of dopamine under mild conditions. Surface properties and morphology of the PDA-coated CMK-3 can be tailored by adjusting the dopamine concentration and coating time, without compromising the meso-structural regularity and the accessibility of the mesopores. Due to high density of -NH groups (4.7 μmol/m² or 2.8 group/nm²) and -OH groups (9.3 μmol/m² or 5.6 group/nm²) of the PDA coating, the modified CMK-3 showed improved hydrophilicity and superior adsorption ability toward uranyl ions (93.6 mg/g) in aqueous solution. Moreover, with the introduction of α-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BiBB) initiator to the PDA-coated CMK-3, we demonstrated for the first time that activators regenerated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) can be conducted for controlled growth of polymer brushes from the surface of OMCs. Thus, PDA chemistry paves a new way for surface modification of OMCs to create a versatile, multifunctional nanoplatform, capable of further modifications toward various applications, such as environmental decontamination, catalysis, and other areas.