Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were functionalized with poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) in a nondestructive manner by UV-driven surface-initiated reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The RAFT agent having benzophenone groups was initially synthesized, and anchored to MWNTs through UV-triggered photoreaction. The subsequent RAFT polymerization of DMAEMA from the surface of MWNTs afforded PDMAEMA grafted MWNTs( MWNTs-g-PDMAEMA). The successful grafting of PDMAEMA on MWNTs via chemical linkage was confirmed by FT-IR, H-1 NMR, XPS, EDX, TGA, TEM, and SEM analyses. A reversible dispersion phenomenon was observed in an aqueous solution of MWNTs-g-PDMAEMA as induced either by temperature or pH. The CdSe quantum dots (CdSe QDs) were attached to quaternized MWNTs-g-PDMAEMA to produce MWNTs-g-PDMAEMA-MeI/CdSe nanohybrids via electrostatic self-assembly. The formation of the nanohybrids was elucidated by EDS, TEM, and XRD. The cell viability assessment of the nanohybrids suggested their biocompatible character. The photoluminescence spectra of the nanohybrids indicated that the CdSe QDs significantly preserved its optical property after conjugation with MWNTs-g-PDMAEMA. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.