Wearable and implantable technologies often take advantage of soft, amorphous materials, such as elastomers and hydrogels, that are biocompatible and can exhibit good modulus matching with tissue. Controlling the surface chemistry of such materials is generally complicated by their structural heterogeneity, including nano- to microscopic pores, as well as random linkage networks. We recently demonstrated that it is possible to generate sub-nm-thick precision polymer layers exhibiting 1-nm-resolution functional patterns, and to covalently transfer those layers to the surfaces of soft materials including elastomers, suitable for wearable or implantable technologies. Here, we will discuss the fundamental patterning approach (based on striped phases of functional polydiacetylenes), and its application in controlling interactions between the elastomeric material and its environment, including promoting, structuring, and limiting adsorption.

Nanopatterning, anywhere: nm-Resolution functional patterning on soft materials for wearable and implantable technologies

ACS Fall 2021

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