Issue 36, 2013

Polymer brush-functionalized surfaces with unique reversible double-stimulus responsive wettability

Abstract

This paper presents the first fabrication of smart films with unique reversible double-stimulus responsive wettability. In this method, the ABC-type triblock copolymers synthesized through the sequential living radical polymerizations of 2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DPAEMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and (4-(2-methylacryloyloxy) ethyloxy-4′-trifluoromethoxy) azobenzene (MAAZO) mediated by a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process, were grafted onto the surfaces of SiO2 films through the reactions between the hydroxyl groups of the PHEMA middle segments and the acyl chloride groups of the SiO2 film surfaces to form specific V-shaped polymer brushes, leaving highly free PDPAEMA and PMAAZO chains. The as-obtained V-shaped polymer brush-functionalized film exhibited a peculiar reversible double-stimulus responsive wettability, which was triggered only by the joint action of pH and UV light irradiation rather than either single stimulus. This unique wettability should be attributed to the changes of the chemical state of functional groups and the distribution of surface polymer brushes under different stimuli.

Graphical abstract: Polymer brush-functionalized surfaces with unique reversible double-stimulus responsive wettability

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 ⵢⵓⵏ 2013
Accepted
11 ⵢⵓⵍ 2013
First published
11 ⵢⵓⵍ 2013

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 10646-10654

Polymer brush-functionalized surfaces with unique reversible double-stimulus responsive wettability

W. Sun, S. Zhou, B. You and L. Wu, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 10646 DOI: 10.1039/C3TA12367G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements