Self-Oscillating Polymer Brushes

摘要

Functional surfaces have attracted much attention owing to their various potential applications. Typical examples of functional surfaces are superhydrophobic surfaces that imitate the structure of a lotus leaf and slippery surfaces that mimics a pitcher plant. Moreover, functional surfaces prepared by modifying stimuli-responsive polymers can change their physiochemical properties dynamically in response to external stimuli (such as temperature, light, pH, and solvent), and they are applied to cell culture, pattern construction, separation systems, control of fluid behavior, and self-cleaning surfaces. Externally driven directional actuation of surface microstructures embedded in stimuli-responsive gels were also reported. On the other hand, if functional surfaces exhibiting autonomous changes without external stimuli are realized, they would be highly useful, especially for applications in closed spaces. So far several autonomous functional surfaces have been prepared by immobilizing biomacromolecules, or demonstrated by utilizing the Marangoni effect. However, construction of autonomous systems composed of artificially designed synthetic materials will make them more versatile and expand the range of their uses. As a relevant example, chemo-mechano-chemical self-regulating systems with catalyst-bearing microstructures embedded in stimuli-sensitive gels were reported. Herein we report an autonomous functional surface prepared by grafting self-oscillating polymers as polymer brushes.