Surface-initiated polymer brushes synthesized by the growing-from approach consist of polymer brushes with higher grafting densities than grafting-to methods. Here we present a different approach, passing-though, and compare it with the traditional growing from approach. The passing-though approach supplies the monomer from below the initiator-functionalized surface, inverting the concentration gradient found in the growing-from technique that has been shown to increase the dispersity of brushes. We use Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy mapping and substrate masking to show that the brushes incorporate only monomer diffusing from below and not from the surrounding solution. Further, we characterize these brushes with contact angle analysis, FTIR, and atomic force microscopy and compare them to brushes synthesized by the growing-from mechanism. We further demonstrate that the zwitterionic polymer brush's properties prepared by our passing-through method, such as wettability, grafting density, uniformity, and fouling resistance, are superior to those of zwitterionic brushes prepared by the growing-from technique.

Passing-through approach to surface-initiated zwitterionic polymer brushes

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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