Novel Amphiphilic Styrene-Based Block Copolymers for Induced Surface Reconstruction
This paper describes the synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers by living radical polymerization (NMP) of new styrene-like monomers. The polar monomers (ethylene oxide side chains and free hydroxyl- or amino-groups after deprotection) were polymerized in a “protected form” to adjust the solubility of the monomers. In this way high molar mass polymers with a narrow polydispersity (around or below 1.2) were accessible. In the bulk state hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains demix. By exposing thin films of these polymers to vacuum (air) or alternatively to water or a hydrophilic surface it becomes possible to switch the surface polarity reversibly between contact angles of about 105° and 83°…
Nanostructured medical sutures with antibacterial properties
Bacterial repellence in suture materials is a desirable property that can potentially improve the healing process by preventing infection. We describe a method for generating nanostructures at the surface of commercial sutures of different composition, and their potential for preventing biofilm formation. We show how bacteria attachment is altered in the presence of nanosized topographies and identify optimum designs for preventing it without compromising biocompatibility and applicability in terms of nanostructure robustness or tissue friction. These studies open new possibilities for flexible and cost-effective realization of topography-based antibacterial coatings for absorbable biomedic…
New Developments in Soft Lithography
Abstract The burgeoning area of soft lithography is reviewed with special emphasis on developments within the past three years. Applications in electronics have driven such developments, but more recently, other kinds of device structures and 3D prototyping have also found application, in part, through soft lithography. Microcontact printing (μCP), “lift off” μCP nano transfer printing (nTP), micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC), solvent assisted micromolding (SAMIM), replica molding (REM), and microtransfer molding are the main soft lithography schemes discussed.
Polyelectrolytes on block copolymer surfaces
Soft lithography and properties of amphiphilic block copolymers are combined in a new technique for the generation of patterned substrates, which can be used in different ways as templates for further processing. In these processing steps the deposition of polyelectrolytes, metals and grafting from polymerizations are used for the construction of different structures.
Temperature dependence of surface reorganization characteristics of amphiphilic block copolymer in air and in water studied by scanning force microscopy
We have investigated the surface reorganization characteristics of a novel amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(acetic acid-2-(2-(4-vinyl-phenoxy)-ethoxy)-ethylester)-block-polystyrene (PAEES-b-PS), in response to varying interfaces from air to water and vice-versa at various temperatures. The surface reorganization characteristics of the block copolymer films was monitored by scanning force microscopy, in order to delineate the kinetically controlled morphological process of surface reorganization of a diblock copolymer, with a particular emphasis on the phase contrast signal which allowed the determination of local composition patterns of PAEES-b-PS at the surface. Upon heating a water-an…