Issue 14, 2022

Synthetic strategies to enhance the long-term stability of polymer brush coatings

Abstract

High-density, end-anchored macromolecules that form so-called polymer brushes are popular components of bio-inspired surface coatings. In a bio-mimetic approach, they have been utilized to reduce friction, repel contamination and control wetting, in particular in the development of biomedical materials. For reliable application of these coatings, it is critical that the performance of these coatings does not degrade in time. Yet, it is well-known that polymer brushes can deteriorate and degraft when exposed to water(–vapor) and this strongly limits the durability of these coatings. In this article, we provide an overview of the current status of research on the stability of polymer brushes. Moreover, we review different synthetic strategies, some of which are bio-inspired by itself, to enhance the long-term stability of these brushes. Based on this overview, we identify open question and issues to be resolved for brushes to be applied as durable bio-inspired surface coatings.

Graphical abstract: Synthetic strategies to enhance the long-term stability of polymer brush coatings

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
25 11 2021
Accepted
10 3 2022
First published
10 3 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2022,10, 2430-2443

Synthetic strategies to enhance the long-term stability of polymer brush coatings

Z. Ding, C. Chen, Y. Yu and S. de Beer, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2022, 10, 2430 DOI: 10.1039/D1TB02605D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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