Objects with functional surface are always desirable because of its practical applications in many fields such as self-cleaning or anti-fouling. Recently our group successfully produced a superhydrophobic surface using layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly combined with surface polymerization technique. In this technique, vinyl functionality was first attached onto poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) via simple amidization reaction. Later this modified PAA was made into thin films with branched polyethylenimine (BPEI) by LbL self-assembly to create surface immobilized with vinyl functionality. Superhydrophobic surface therefore could be produced by polymerizing 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7-Dodecafluoroheptyl acrylate (DFHA) onto the surface through free radical polymerization. This method allows us to fabricate superhydrophobic surface onto different substrates without doing any surface modification to the substrates. Besides, we believe that this promising method could also be used to produce other functional surface (Ex: antifouling) provided that the monomers are well-chosen.<br/>

Functional surface produced by layer-by-layer self-assembly combined with surface polymerization technique

254th National Meeting (2017)

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