Polymer brushes having initiation sites to grow polymeric side chains

摘要

A method of creating a polymer brush bearing covalently bound polymer side chains, comprising the steps of: deposition of a halogen containing initiator film, or a precursor which is derivatised into a halogen containing initiator film, onto a substrate by; surface atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) growth of polymer brushes; utilisation of the surface tethered ATRP grafted polymer brushes for the growth of polymer side chains to form polymer bottlebrushes. The halogen containing initiator film is preferably formed by plasma polymerisation of vinylbenzyl chloride. The polymer brushes are preferably formed from poly(glycidyl methacrylate) and the polymer side chains (or bristles) may be formed by derivatisation of the polymer chains to introduce ATRP initiator sites (preferably using bromoacetic acid) followed by ATRP using a suitable monomer such as sodium styrene sulfonate to form polyelectrolyte brushes. The bottle brushes formed may be used as a lubricant.