6533b7d8fe1ef96bd126ac43

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Switching of Polymer Brushes

subject

description

Polymer coatings of brushlike monolayers composed of two different polymers, polystyrene and poly(2-vinylpyridine), are grafted by radical polymerization on the surface of silicon wafers. Thickness, grafting density, molecular weight of grafted chains, and the composition of the coatings were regulated by grafting time, monomer concentration, and additional initiator in solution. A typical dry film thickness is between 10 and 100 nm, and the molecular weights of the components range from 100 to 300 kg/mol. The fabricated coatings turn out to be sensitive to the composition of the environment. For instance after exposition to toluene the layer becomes hydrophobic and the top of the layer is covered by polystyrene. After exposition to HCl the layer becomes hydrophilic with polyvinylpyridine in the upper layer. This reconstruction of the polymer layer was observed with contact angle and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The composition of the top layer in different media is controlled by the com...