Issue 20, 2018

(PtBA-co-PPEGMEMA-co-PDOMA)-g-PPFA polymer brushes synthesized by sequential RAFT polymerization and ATRP

Abstract

A novel approach for preparing self-cleaning anti-fouling surfaces with compositional heterogeneous polymer brushes at a molecular-length scale was developed. This approach exploits three critical elements including hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) brushes with non-fouling functionalities, self-cleaning fouling-release hydrophobic poly(2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl acrylate) (PPFA) brushes and catechol moieties, an important component of mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs), to anchor asymmetric polymer brushes onto surfaces. Well-defined PtBBPMA-co-PPEGMEMA-co-PDOMA macroinitiators were first prepared by RAFT copolymerization of tert-butyl 2-((2-bromopropanoyloxy)methyl)acrylate (tBBPMA) bearing a Br-containing ATRP initiating group, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA) macromonomer and N-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenethyl) methacrylamide (DOMA) with an adhesive anchoring group of catechol moieties. The target asymmetric polymer brushes were obtained by ATRP of PFA initiated by the macroinitiator via the grafting-from strategy. By using the drop coating method, the asymmetric polymer brush surface could form a layer of amphiphilic brushes onto the substrate with the assistance of adhesive anchoring groups. With a dense heterogeneous brush conformation at a molecular-length scale, (PtBA-co-PPEGMEMA-co-PDOMA)-g-PPFA-based surface shows considerable self-cleaning anti-fouling performance with less protein adsorption (up to 93% off) and cell adhesion (up to 88% off) compared to the bare surface.

Graphical abstract: (PtBA-co-PPEGMEMA-co-PDOMA)-g-PPFA polymer brushes synthesized by sequential RAFT polymerization and ATRP

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Mar 2018
Accepted
20 Apr 2018
First published
23 Apr 2018

Polym. Chem., 2018,9, 2821-2829

(PtBA-co-PPEGMEMA-co-PDOMA)-g-PPFA polymer brushes synthesized by sequential RAFT polymerization and ATRP

D. Shen, B. Xu, X. Huang, Q. Zhuang and S. Lin, Polym. Chem., 2018, 9, 2821 DOI: 10.1039/C8PY00470F

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