Surface-initiated controlled radical polymerizations (SI-CRP) have enabled the facile preparation of well-defined polymer brushes. The ability to control the chemical identity, polymer architecture and molecular weight of the surface-grafted chains allows for a variety of surface properties to be controlled for applications ranging from antifouling to nanostructured surfaces. The density of grafted chains, and therefore surface coverage, is also an important parameter which can greatly affect surface properties. Current strategies for modulating the density of grafted chains are limited due to tedious synthetic procedures. Furthermore, spatial control over grafting density is limited to length scales of millimeters to centimeters. In this study, we demonstrate a general method for tuning the grafting density of polymer brushes using visible light. Light as an external stimulus for controlling grafted chain density also enables spatial control over the surface properties and the opportunity for the fabrication of nanostructures.

Spatial control over polymer brush grafting density using visible light

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.