Synthesis of Multifunctional Polymer Brushes via Sequential and Orthogonal Thiol-Click Reactions

Published

November 14, 2011

Author(s)

Santosh B. Rahane, Ryan M. Hensarling, Bradley J. Sparks, Christopher Stafford, Derek L. Patton

Abstract

Fabrication of multifunctional surfaces with complexity approaching that found in nature requires the application of a modular approach to surface engineering. We describe a versatile post-polymerization modification strategy to synthesize multifunctional polymer brush surfaces via combination of surface-initiated photopolymerization (SIP) and orthogonal thiol-click reactions. Specifically, we demonstrate two routes to multifunctional brush surfaces: In the first approach, alkyne-functionalized homopolymer brushes are modified with multiple thiols via a statistical, radical-mediated thiol-yne co-click reaction; and in the second approach, statistical copolymer brushes carrying two distinctly-addressable reactive moieties are sequentially modified via orthogonal base-catalyzed thiol-X (where X represents an isocyanate, epoxy, or α-bromoester) and radical-mediated thiol-yne reactions. In both cases, we show that surface properties, in the form of wettability, can be easily tuned over a wide range by judicious choice of brush composition and thiol functionality.

Citation

Journal of Materials Chemistry

Volume

22

Issue

3

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

polymer brushes, surfaces, functionalization, click chemistry, surface modification

Citation

Rahane, S. , Hensarling, R. , Sparks, B. , Stafford, C. and Patton, D. (2011), Synthesis of Multifunctional Polymer Brushes via Sequential and Orthogonal Thiol-Click Reactions, Journal of Materials Chemistry (Accessed October 18, 2025)