Patterned polymer brushes via surface-initiated photopolymerization on self-assembled monolayers structured by chemical lithography

摘要

The preparation of polymer brushes can be performed either by the 'grafting-onto' method were a preformed end-functionalized polymer is chemi- or physisorbed onto an interface or by the so-called 'grafting-from' method in which a surface-bond group is used for a surface-initiated polymerization (SIP). Especially, the well defined self-assembled monolayer (SAM) systems provide direct control over crucial parameters of brush systems, i.e. grafting density, lateral distribution of grafting sites as well as chemical and thermal stability of the final brushes. The use of α-ω-functional molecules forming the intermediate SAMs allows the application of various types of SIP, independent from the chemical nature of the original substrate. This has been demonstrated for nearly all polymerization types including the free and controlled radical, living anionic and living cationic polymerization.