Issue 7, 2014

Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) brushes grafted from silica surfaces: pH- and salt-dependent switching studies

Abstract

We report the preparation, characterization and responsive behavior of polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) copolymer brushes grafted from silica substrates using Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (SI-ATRP). pH-dependent swelling behavior was investigated in situ by ellipsometry and it confirmed that PAA chains can be reversibly switched from collapsed to extended conformations. It also confirmed that the grafted copolymer brushes were stable under extreme alkaline conditions of pH and with added salt. We showed that the hydrophobic polystyrene block of the copolymer protects the substrate–initiator bond against hydrolysis that would otherwise cause undesired polymer degrafting from the substrate. Also, we provide evidence of fundamentally different brush conformations with metal cations of increasing valency. Monovalent sodium and cesium ions caused brush stretching while only collapsed brushes were observed with divalent calcium ions.

Graphical abstract: Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) brushes grafted from silica surfaces: pH- and salt-dependent switching studies

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Sep 2013
Accepted
28 Nov 2013
First published
28 Nov 2013

Polym. Chem., 2014,5, 2242-2252

Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) brushes grafted from silica surfaces: pH- and salt-dependent switching studies

O. Borozenko, C. Ou, W. G. Skene and S. Giasson, Polym. Chem., 2014, 5, 2242 DOI: 10.1039/C3PY01339A

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