Multilayered polymer systems produced by multilayer coextrusion have a variety of applications as gas barrier films, packaging and optical applications. Surface modification can improve permeability, ion/molecule selectivity and biocompatibility while retaining the desirable properties of the membrane. Surface modification with polymers is commonly accomplished via the free radical process but offers poor controllability over the brush length which is very essential to the membrane performances. This disadvantage can be overcome by the use of controlled living polymerization, such as atom transfer radical polymerization. Stimuli-responsive surfaces allow the membranes to change their structure, charge or affinity by manipulation of environmental conditions for the development of novel multi-component separation protocols with tunable surfaces. The proposed method involves the synthesis of an ATRP initiator with a photo-reactive benzophenone moiety. The film was spin-coated with the initiator solution. The stimuli-responsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brush, is grown by surface initiated polymerization technique. This technique has the benefit of placing initiating groups directly on the surface which allows for good control over the grafting process. This method can be expanded to photopatterning with applications in different areas such as biomaterials, and microelectromechanical devices. XPS, IR and AFM confirmed the successful deposition of the initiator and grafting of the polymer. Moreover, the behavior of the brush film as a function of temperature was demonstrated by contact angle experiments.

Surface-grafted polymers from photo-crosslinked ATRP initiators on multilayer films for membrane applications

246th National Meeting (2013)

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