Rapid Synthesis of Poly(carboxylic acid) Brushes by Surface-initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

摘要

Poly(carboxylic acid) brushes (commonly known as polyacids) are attractive for immobilization of biomacromolecules for applications such as protein purification by affinity adsorption,immunoassays,enzymatic reactions,and analyses with antibody arrays. The formation of thick polymer brushes is vital for such applications to achieve high protein-binding capacities. The most commonly used method for synthesis of polyacid brushes is polymerization of an ester- containing monomer followed by hydrolysis,but this strategy requires harsh acidic conditions for deprotection. To facilitate the synthesis of polyacid brushes,we are developing single-step methods for rapid,surface-initiated growth of these brushes under gentle conditions. Below we review our initial work in this direction.