"Click-functional" block copolymers provide precise surface functionality via spin coating

There are few existing methods for the quantitative functionalization of surfaces, especially for polymeric substrates. We demonstrate that alkyne end-functional diblock copolymers can be used to provide precise areal densities of reactive functionality on both hard (e.g., glass and silicon oxide) and soft (i.e., polymeric) substrates. Alkyne functionality is extremely versatile because the resultant functional surfaces are reactive toward azide functional molecules by Sharpless click chemistry. Spin-coated films of alpha-alkyne-omega-Br-poly( tert-butylacrylate- b-methylmethacrylate) (poly( tBA-MMA)) spontaneously self-assemble on the aforementioned substrates to present a surface monolayer of PtBA with a thickness in the range of 1 to 9 nm. The PMMA block physisorbs to provide multivalent anchoring onto hard substrates and is fixed onto polymer surfaces by interpenetration with the substrate polymer. The areal density of alkyne functional groups is precisely controlled by adjusting the thickness of the block copolymer monolayer, which is accomplished by changing either the spin coating conditions (i.e., rotational speed and solution concentration) or the copolymer molecular weight. The reactivity of surface-bound alkynes, in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions or by so-called "click chemistry", is demonstrated by covalent surface immobilization of fluorescently labeled azides. The modificed surfaces are characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle, ellipsometry, fluorescent imaging and angle-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ADXPS) measurements. Microarrays of covalently bound fluorescent molecules are created to demonstrate the approach and their performance is evaluated by determining their fluorescence signal-to-noise ratios.     

High density cationic polymer brushes from combined “click chemistry” and RAFT‐mediated polymerization

A simple method for preparing cationic poly[(ar‐vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride)] [poly(VBTAC)] brushes was used by combined technology of “click chemistry” and reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Initially, silicon surfaces were modified with RAFT chain transfer agent by using a click reaction involving an azide‐modified silicon wafer and alkyne‐terminated 4‐cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate (CPAD). A series of poly(VBTAC) brushes on silicon surface with different molecular weights, thicknesses, and grafting densities were then synthesized by RAFT‐mediated polymerization from the surface immobilized CPAD. The immobilization of CPAD on the silicon wafer and the subsequent polymer formation were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, water contact angle measurements, grazing angle‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and ellipsometry analysis. The addition of free CPAD was required for the formation of well‐defined polymer brushes, which subsequently resulted in the presence of free polymer chains in solution. The free polymer chains were isolated and used to estimate the molecular weights and polydispersity index of chains attached to the surface. In addition, by varying the polymerization time, we were able to obtain poly(VBTAC) brushes with grafting density up to 0.78 chains/nm² with homogeneous distributions of apparent needle‐like structures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Versatility of alkyne-modified poly(glycidyl methacrylate) layers for click reactions

Functional soft interfaces are of interest for a variety of technologies. We describe three methods for preparing substrates with alkyne groups, which show versatility for "click" chemistry reactions. Two of the methods have the same root: formation of thin, covalently attached, reactive interfacial layers of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) via spin coating onto silicon wafers followed by reactive modification with either propargylamine or 5-hexynoic acid. The amine or the carboxylic acid moieties react with the epoxy groups of PGMA, creating interfacial polymer layers decorated with alkyne groups. The third method consists of using copolymers comprising glycidyl methacrylate and propargyl methacrylate (pGP). The pGP copolymers are spin coated and covalently attached on silicon wafers. For each method, we investigate the factors that control film thickness and content of alkyne groups using ellipsometry, and study the nanophase structure of the films using neutron reflectometry. Azide-terminated polymers of methacrylic acid and 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization were attached to the alkyne-modified substrates using "click" chemistry, and grafting densities in the range of 0.007-0.95 chains nm(-2) were attained. The maximum density of alkyne groups attained by functionalization of PGMA with propargylamine or 5-hexynoic acid was approximately 2 alkynes nm(-3). The alkyne content obtained by the three decorating approaches was sufficiently high that it was not the limiting factor for the click reaction of azide-capped polymers.     

Synthesis of molecular brushes by "grafting onto" method: combination of ATRP and click reactions

Molecular brushes (densely grafted polymers or bottle-brush macromolecules) were synthesized by the "grafting onto" method via combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and "click" reactions. Linear poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) polymers were synthesized first by ATRP. After esterification reactions between pentynoic acid and the hydroxyl side groups, polymeric backbones with alkynyl side groups on essentially every monomer unit (PHEMA-alkyne) were obtained. Five kinds of azido-terminated polymeric side chains (SCs) with different chemical compositions and molecular weights were used, including poly(ethylene glycol)-N3 (PEO-N3), polystyrene-N3, poly(n-butyl acrylate)-N3, and poly(n-butyl acrylate)-b-polystyrene-N3. All click coupling reactions between alkyne-containing polymeric backbones (PHEMA-alkyne) and azido-terminated polymeric SCs were completed within 3 h. The grafting density of the obtained molecular brushes was affected by several factors, including the molecular weights and the chemical structures of the linear SCs, as well as the initial molar ratio of linear chains to alkynyl groups. When linear polymers with "thinner" structure and lower molecular weight, e.g., PEO-N3 with Mn = 775 g/mol, were reacted with PHEMA-alkyne (degree of polymerization = 210) at a high molar ratio of linear chains to alkynyl groups in the backbone, the brush copolymers with the highest grafting density were obtained (Y(grafting) = 88%). This result indicates that the average number of SCs was ca. 186 per brush molecule and the average molecular weight of the brush molecules was ca. 190 kg/mol.     

Biocompatible "click" wafer bonding for microfluidic devices

We introduce a novel dry wafer bonding concept designed for permanent attachment of micromolded polymer structures to surface functionalized silicon substrates. The method, designed for simultaneous fabrication of many lab-on-chip devices, utilizes a chemically reactive polymer microfluidic structure, which rapidly bonds to a functionalized substrate via"click" chemistry reactions. The microfluidic structure consists of an off-stoichiometry thiol-ene (OSTE) polymer with a very high density of surface bound thiol groups and the substrate is a silicon wafer that has been functionalized with common bio-linker molecules. We demonstrate here void free, and low temperature (< 37 °C) bonding of a batch of OSTE microfluidic layers to a silane functionalized silicon wafer.     

Click-chemistry for surface modification of monodisperse-macroporous particles

In this study, click chemistry was proposed as a tool for tuning the surface hydrophilicity of monodisperse-macroporous particles in micron-size range. The monodisperse-porous particles carrying hydrophobic or hydrophilic molecular brushes on their surfaces were obtained by the proposed modification. Hydrophilic poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate), poly(GMA-co-EDM) particles were hydrophobized by the covalent attachment of poly(octadecyl acrylate-co-propargyl acrylate), poly(ODA-co-PA) copolymer onto the particle surface via triazole formation by click chemistry. In the second part, Hydrophobic poly(4-chloromethylstyrene-co-divinylbenzene), poly(CMS-co-DVB) particles were hydrophilized by the covalent attachment of poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA onto their surface also via triazole formation by click chemistry. The presence of PVA and poly(ODA-co-PA) copolymer on the corresponding particles was shown by FTIR-DRS. After click-coupling reactions applied for both hydrophobic poly(CMS-co-DVB) and hydrophilic poly(GMA-co-EDM) particles, the marked changes in surface polarity were shown by contact angle measurements. Protein adsorption characteristics of plain and modified particles were investigated for both materials. In the isoelectric point of albumin, the non-specific albumin adsorption decreased from 225 to 80 mg/g by grafting PVA onto the poly(CMS-co-DVB) beads. On the other hand, the non-specific albumin adsorption onto the plain poly(GMA-co-EDM) beads increased from 50 to 400 mg/g by the covalent attachment of poly(ODA-co-PA) copolymer onto the bead-surface via click chemistry. The protein adsorption behavior was efficiently regulated by the covalent attachment of appropriate molecular brushes onto the surfaces of selected particles. The results indicated that "click chemistry" was an efficient tool for controlling the polarity of monodisperse-macroporous particles.     

Au/聚4-乙烯基吡啶-b-聚乙二醇嵌段聚合物刷的合成及其pH响应行为

作为受限高分子体系的一个经典模型,高分子刷在胶体稳定、聚合物链的自组装以及摩擦学等方面具有潜在的应用价值。 本文通过原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)和点击化学(Click Chemistry)方法在金(Au)基底表面制备了pH响应性聚4-乙烯基吡啶-b-聚乙二醇(P4VP-b-PEG)嵌段聚合物刷。 通过频率-耗散型石英微天平(QCM-D)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和原子力显微镜(AFM)等技术手段分别对Au/P4VP-b-PEG聚合物刷经不同pH值溶液处理后的形态变化、表面组成和表面形貌进行了进一步深入研究。 结果表明,用不同pH值溶液处理P4VP-b-PEG嵌段聚合物刷后,该聚合物刷呈现刺激响应规律。 当pH=1.5时,P4VP链段质子化,由于静电排斥作用使P4VP-b-PEG链段呈伸展构象;当pH=11.5时,P4VP链段去质子化,并且由于失去部分结合水,P4VP-b-PEG链段呈塌缩构象。     

Controlled grafting of well-defined epoxide polymers on hydrogen-terminated silicon substrates by surface-initiated ATRP at ambient temperature

Controlled grafting of well-defined epoxide polymer brushes on the hydrogen-terminated Si(100) substrates (Si-H substrates) was carried out via the surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) at room temperature. Thus, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) polymer brushes were prepared by ATRP from the alpha-bromoester functionalized Si-H surface. Kinetic studies revealed a linear increase in GMA polymer (PGMA) film thickness with reaction time, indicating that chain growth from the surface was a controlled "living" process. The graft polymerization proceeded more rapidly in the dimethylformamide/water (DMF/H(2)O) mixed solvent medium than in DMF, leading to much thicker PGMA growth on the silicon surface in the former medium. The chemical composition of the GMA graft-polymerized silicon (Si-g-PGMA) surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The fact that the epoxide functional groups of the grafted PGMA were preserved quantitatively was revealed in the reaction with ethylenediamine. The "living" character of the PGMA chain end was further ascertained by the subsequent growth of a poly(pentafluorostyrene) (PFS) block from the Si-g-PGMA surface, using the PGMA brushes as the macroinitiators.     

两亲性PS-b-PEG嵌段共聚物刷的合成及响应行为

利用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)和点击化学(Click)反应, 在硅基底上制备了聚苯乙烯-b-聚乙二醇(PS-b-PEG)两亲性嵌段共聚物刷. 首先, 利用ATRP方法在表面改性的硅片引发苯乙烯单体(St)的聚合, 得到PS-Br均聚刷, 然后通过叠氮化钠(NaN₃)将均聚刷末端功能化为PS-N₃, 再与炔基聚乙二醇甲醚(Alkynyl-PEG)发生Click反应, 得到PS-b-PEG嵌段共聚物刷. 通过X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和接触角测量仪表征了聚合物刷的表面化学组成和表面亲疏水性质, 证明在硅基底上接枝了嵌段共聚物刷. 用原子力显微镜(AFM)观察了PS-b-PEG嵌段共聚物刷在不同溶剂处理后的形态结构变化, 研究了其响应行为.     

Biofunctionalization of a "clickable" organic layer photochemically grafted on titanium substrates

We have developed a general method combining photochemical grafting and copper-catalyzed click chemistry for biofunctionalization of titanium substrates. The UV-activated grafting of an α,ω-alkenyne onto TiO(2)/Ti substrates provided a "clickable" thin film platform. The selective attachment of the vinyl end of the molecule to the surface was achieved by masking the alkynyl end with a trimethylgermanyl (TMG) protecting group. Subsequently, various oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) derivatives terminated with an azido group were attached to the TMG-alkynyl modified titanium surface via a one-pot deprotection/click reaction. The films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle goniometry, ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We showed that the titanium surface presenting click-immobilized OEG substantially suppressed the nonspecific attachment of protein and cells as compared to the unmodified titanium substrate. Furthermore, glycine-arginine-glycine-aspartate (GRGD), a cell adhesion peptide, was coimmobilized with OEG on the platform. We demonstrated that the resultant GRGD-presenting thin film on Ti substrates can promote the specific adhesion and spreading of AsPC-1 cells.     

Photoreactive polymer brushes for high-density patterned surface derivatization using a Diels-Alder photoclick reaction

Reactive polymer brushes grown on silicon oxide surfaces were derivatized with photoreactive 3-(hydroxymethyl)naphthalene-2-ol (NQMP) moieties. Upon 300 or 350 nm irradiation, NQMP efficiently produces o-naphthoquinone methide (oNQM), which in turn undergoes very rapid Diels-Alder addition to vinyl ether groups attached to a substrate, resulting in the covalent immobilization of the latter. Any unreacted oNQM groups rapidly add water to regenerate NQMP. High-resolution surface patterning is achieved by irradiating NQMP-derivatized surfaces using photolithographic methods. The Diels-Alder photoclick reaction is orthogonal to azide-alkyne click chemistry, enabling sequential photoclick/azide-click derivatizations to generate complex surface functionalities.     

Miktoarms hyperbranched polymer brushes: One-step fast synthesis by parallel click chemistry and hierarchical self-assembly

Spherical molecular brushes with amphiphilic heteroarms were facilely synthesized by grafting the arms of hydrophobic 2-azidoethyle palmitate and hydrophilic monoazide-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) onto the core of alkyne-modified hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) with high molecular weight (M _n = 122 kDa) via one-pot parallel click chemistry. The parallel click grafting strategy was demonstrated to be highly efficient (～100%), very fast (～ 2 h) and well controllable to the amphilicity of molecular brushes. Through adjusting the feeding ratio of hydrophobic and hydrophilic arms, a series of brushes with different arm ratios were readily obtained. The resulting miktoarms hyperbranched polymer brushes (HPG-g-C16/PEG350) were characterized by hydrogen-nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The spherical molecular brushes showed high molecular weights up to 230 kDa, and thus could be visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM and dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) were employed to investigate the self-assembly properties of amphiphilic molecular brushes with closed proportion of hydrophobic and hydrophilic arms. The brushes could self-assemble hierarchically into spherical micelles, and network-like fibre structures, and again spherical micelles by addition of n-hexane into the dichloromethane or chloroform solution of brushes. In addition, this kind of miktoarms polymer brush also showed the ability of dye loading via host-guest encapsulation, which promises the potential application of spherical molecular brushes in supramolecular chemistry.     

Microwave irradiated click reactions on silicon surfaces via derivertization of covalently grafted poly(PEGMA) brushes

Two surface chemistry approaches were realized to complete click reactions at covalently grafted polymer brushes of poly(poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate) on a planar silicon surface (Si-g-P(PEGMAOH)). On one hand, the hydroxyls from Si-g-P(PEGMA-OH) brushes can be replaced by chlorines of thionyl chloride and then chlorines can be substituted with azides of sodium azide to achieve azide-terminated (Si-g-P(PEGMA-N(3))) brushes. On the other hand, the terminal acetylene (Si-g-P(PEGMA-CH(2)C[triple bond]CH)) brushes can be prepared easily by reaction between Si-g-P(PEGMA-OH) and propargyl bromide. Model compounds of acetylene-terminated propargylamine, propiolic acid, and 10-undecynoic acid as well as azide-terminal benzyl azide were chosen to investigate the surface click reactions catalyzed with Cu(II)/sodium L-ascorbate by microwave irradiation under very mild conditions at 30°C for 1h. The stepwise modifications were characterized by two surface-sensitive techniques, Multiple Transmission-Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy (MTR-IR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and their spectra were analyzed in detail. The triazole ring v(H-C=) stretching at 3139 cm(-1) and the XPS high-resolution scan of N 1s directly confirm the click reactions. By quantifying their infrared spectra before and after click reactions, we conclude that the click reactions on silicon surfaces by microwave irradiation possess high yield and efficiency. Hence, the microwave irradiated click reaction approaches might open convenient avenues to fabricate functional and hybrid organic/silicon devices.     

Tandem RAFT Polymerization and Click Chemistry: An Efficient Approach to Surface Modification

PS grafted silica nanoparticles have been prepared by a tandem process that simultaneously employs RAFT polymerization and click chemistry. In a single pot procedure, azide‐modified silica, an alkyne functionalized RAFT agent and styrene are combined to produce the desired product. As deduced by thermal gravimetric and elemental analysis, the grafting density of PS on the silica in the tandem process is intermediate between analogous “grafting to” and “grafting from” techniques for preparing PS brushes on silica. Relative rates of RAFT polymerization and click reaction can be altered to control grafting density.

     

Surface-initiated group transfer polymerization mediated by rare earth metal catalysts

We present the first example of a surface-initiated group transfer polymerization (SI-GTP) mediated by rare earth metal catalysts for polymer brush synthesis. The experimentally facile method allows rapid grafting of polymer brushes with a thickness of >150 nm in <5 min at room temperature. We show the preparation of common poly(methacrylate) brushes and demonstrate that SI-GTP is a versatile route for the preparation of novel polymer brushes. The method gives access to both thermoresponsive and proton-conducting brush layers.     

Rewritable Polymer Brush Micropatterns Grafted by Triazolinedione Click Chemistry

Triazolinedione (TAD) click reactions were combined with microcontact chemistry to print, erase, and reprint polymer brushes on surfaces. By patterning substrates with a TAD‐tagged atom‐transfer radical polymerization initiator (ATRP‐TAD) and subsequent surface initiated ATRP, it was possible to graft micropatterned polymer brushes from both alkene‐ and indole‐functionalized substrates. As a result of the dynamic nature of the Alder–ene adduct of TAD and indole at elevated temperatures, the polymer pattern could be erased while the regenerated indole substrate could be reused to print new patterns. To demonstrate the robustness of the methodology, the write–erase cycle was repeated four times.     

SuFEx on the Surface: A Flexible Platform for Postpolymerization Modification of Polymer Brushes

Polymer brushes present a unique architecture for tailoring surface functionalities due to their distinctive physicochemical properties. However, the polymerization chemistries used to grow brushes place limitations on the monomers that can be grown directly from the surface. Several forms of click chemistry have previously been used to modify polymer brushes by postpolymerization modification with high efficiency, however, it is usually difficult to include the unprotected moieties in the original monomer. We present the use of a new form of click chemistry known as SuFEx (sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange), which allows a silyl ether to be rapidly and quantitatively clicked to a polymer brush grown by free‐radical polymerization containing native ‐SO₂F groups with rapid pseudo‐first‐order rates as high as 0.04 s^?1. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of SuFEx to facilely add a variety of other chemical functional groups to brush substrates that have highly useful and orthogonal reactivity, including alkynes, thiols, and dienes.     

Combining Spontaneous Polymerization and Click Reactions for the Synthesis of Polymer Brushes: A “Grafting Onto” Approach

Two novel benzofulvene monomers bearing propargyl or allyl groups have been synthesized by means of readily accessible reactions, and were found to polymerize spontaneously by solvent removal, in the apparent absence of catalysts or initiators, to give the corresponding polybenzofulvene derivatives bearing clickable propargyl or allyl moieties. The clickable propargyl and allyl groups were exploited in appropriate click reactions to develop a powerful and versatile “grafting onto” synthetic methodology for obtaining tailored polymer brushes.     

Functionalization and patterning of reactive polymer brushes based on surface reversible addition and fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

We present the synthesis of reactive polymer brushes prepared by surface reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of pentafluorophenyl acrylate. The reactive ester moieties can be used to functionalize the polymer brush film with virtually any functionality by simple post‐polymerization modification with amines. Dithiobenzoic acid benzyl‐(4‐ethyltrimethoxylsilyl) ester was used as the surface chain transfer agent (S‐CTA) and the anchoring group onto the silicon substrates. Reactive polymer brushes with adjustable molecular weight, high grafting density, and conformal coverage through the grafting‐from approach were obtained. Subsequently, the reactive polymer brushes were converted with amino‐spiropyrans resulting in reversible light‐responsive polymer brush films. The wetting behavior could be altered by irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) or visible light. Furthermore, a patterned surface of polymer brushes was obtained using a lithography technique. UV irradiation of the S‐CTA‐modified substrates leads to a selective degradation of S‐CTA in the exposed areas and gives patterned activated polymer brushes after a subsequent RAFT polymerization step. Conversion of the patterned polymer brushes with 5‐((2‐aminoethyl)amino)naphthalene‐1‐sulfonic acid resulted in patterned fluorescent polymer brush films. The utilization of reactive polymer brushes offers an easy approach in the fabrication of highly functional brushes, even for functionalities whose introduction is limited by other strategies. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Functionalization of hydrogen-terminated silicon via surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization and derivatization of the polymer brushes

Surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate (PEGMA) was carried out on the hydrogen-terminated Si(100) substrates with surface-tethered alpha-bromoester initiator. Kinetic studies confirmed an approximately linear increase in polymer film thickness with reaction time, indicating that chain growth from the surface was a controlled "living" process. The "living" character of the surface-grafted PEGMA chains was further ascertained by the subsequent extension of these graft chains, and thus the graft layer. Well-defined polymer brushes of near 100 nm in thickness were grafted on the Si(100) surface in 8 h under ambient temperature in an aqueous medium. The hydroxyl end groups of the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chains of the grafted PEGMA polymer were derivatized into various functional groups, including chloride, amine, aldehyde, and carboxylic acid groups. The surface-functionalized silicon substrates were characterized by reflectance FT-IR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Covalent attachment and derivatization of the well-defined PEGMA polymer brushes can broaden considerably the functionality of single-crystal silicon surfaces.