Topological Polymer Chemistry Enters Surface Science: Linear versus Cyclic Polymer Brushes

The cyclic polymer topology strongly alters the interfacial, physico‐chemical properties of polymer brushes, when compared to the linear counterparts. In this study, we especially concentrated on poly‐2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline (PEOXA) cyclic and linear grafts assembled on titanium oxide surfaces by the “grafting‐to” technique. The smaller hydrodynamic radius of ring PEOXAs favors the formation of denser brushes with respect to linear analogs. Denser and more compact cyclic brushes generate a steric barrier that surpasses the typical entropic shield by a linear brush. This phenomenon, translates into an improved resistance towards biological contamination from different protein mixtures. Moreover, the enhancement of steric stabilization coupled to the intrinsic absence of chain ends by cyclic brushes, produce surfaces displaying a super‐lubricating character when they are sheared against each other. All these topological effects pave the way for the application of cyclic brushes for surface functionalization, enabling the modulation of physico‐chemical properties that could be just marginally tuned by applying linear grafts.     

聚合物表面刷子模型的形态结构及动力学特性

阐述了稀溶液及聚合物溶液中高分子链及其刷子模型在外力和流场作用下的结构形态及动力学特性。单分子链在外力作用下经历从嗽叭形到花杂形的变形,最后完全解缠而伸展,单分散性刷子模型中的单链节密度在沿刷子高度方向上呈抛物线形分布。在多分散性刷子模型中分子链的结构形态呈多样性变化,溶液中球形界面刷子之间的作用力与吸附的平衡状态有关,电解质溶液中的刷子及带电刷子在溶液中的电中性分布文章也有详细阐述。     

双峰聚合物分子刷的层化机理

建立了用于模拟双峰聚合物分子刷相结构的自洽场理论. 模拟结果表明, 良溶剂条件能够促使双峰聚合物分子刷裂分为内外两个亚分子层, 其中短链居于内分子层, 而长链伸展到外分子层. 体系溶解性的加强不仅使聚合物的密度分布逐渐趋近强分凝理论的解析结果, 而且加大了分子链的伸展和链段的局部取向程度. 分子链接枝密度的增加能够促使分子刷的层化, 并且在良溶剂区域, 不同接枝密度的分子链密度分布可以回归到同一条主线. 在良溶剂条件下, 长链的聚合度对短链的密度分布影响不大, 但能够导致长链向外分子层扩展.     

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.     

圆柱表面上高分子共混刷微相分离的自洽场理论研究

我们运用高分子自洽场理论方法,结合“masking”技术,研究了高分子共混刷接枝到无限长圆柱表面上的微相分离行为. 理论预言了柱面上高分子共混刷的两种典型相分离形态：平行条纹相和环状相. 我们考察了圆柱半径、接枝密度以及相互作用参数对二者的影响,给出了体系在不同参数下相分离形态的相图,并且从相分离程度的角度对平行条纹相和环状相之间的转变作了解释. 我们还研究了平行条纹相相区数目以及环状相交替周期随圆柱半径的变化. 理论所预言的平行条纹相和环状相的存在以及体系参数对其稳定性的影响将有助于实验上合理设计、制备这类新颖的高分子刷材料.     

聚合物分子刷的合成与应用

本文综述了近年来在线形聚合物、树枝状大分子及树枝化聚合物等不同聚合物的每个重复单元上,高密度地、通过不同联接方式接枝上新的聚合物侧链而形成的刷形接枝共聚物,即聚合物分子刷的研究进展。主要介绍聚合物分子刷的三种合成途径,即“大单体聚合法”,“从主链接枝法”及“接枝到主链法”,并对不同路线的特点进行分析,同时对分子刷在制备纳米杂化材料、纳米导线及智能材料等方面的应用进行了综述。     

Theory of Liquid-crystalline Ordering in Polymer Brushes

Summary: We present a review of the works devoted to investigation of LC ordering in polymer brushes. This series has been carried out by the group of T. M. Birshtein and covers the following aspects of the problem: thermotropic LC phase transition in LCP brushes, microphase segregation, homeotropic and planar LC phases, LC polymer in LC solvent, lyotropic LCP brushes, LC transitions under normal or lateral force (shear flow). Analytical theory is developed for simplified model of polymer brush with accounting for thermotropic attraction in Mayer-Saupe approximation and lyotropic repulsion in DiMarzio formalism; numerical calculations are fulfilled in self-consistent field approximation (method of Scheutjens and Fleer). Brownian dynamics simulations are applied for modeling polymer brush in a shear flow.     

聚合物分子刷的合成与应用

本文综述了近年来在线形聚合物、树枝状大分子及树枝化聚合物等不同聚合物的每个重复单元上,高密度地、通过不同联接方式接枝上新的聚合物侧链而形成的刷形接枝共聚物,即聚合物分子刷的研究进展。主要介绍聚合物分子刷的三种合成途径,即“大单体聚合法”,“从主链接枝法”及“接枝到主链法”,并对不同路线的特点进行分析,同时对分子刷在制备纳米杂化材料、纳米导线及智能材料等方面的应用进行了综述。     

聚合物刷与生物分子相互作用的研究进展

聚合物刷是由一端紧密接枝在一个曲面或平面的聚合物链组成的大分子结构。近年来,随着聚合物制备方法和表面修饰技术的不断发展,聚合物刷的应用范围也在不断拓宽,相关研究已成为功能高分子材料领域的热点之一。具有特殊结构和功能的聚合物刷在生物分子固定、蛋白质分离、酶催化、药物控释等方面具有广阔的应用前景。本文综述了聚合物刷与生物分子相互作用及应用的最新研究进展,并展望了今后的发展方向。     

表面引发聚合新进展及应用

综述了近年来聚合物刷合成与应用方面的新进展.简要介绍了利用表面引发原子转移自由基聚合(SI-ATRP)制备聚合物刷的历程和重要进展.重点论述了通过电化学、光诱导以及牺牲阳极技术、仿生合成等发展了多种表面引发ATRP新方法,基于如何将聚合物从分子尺度过渡到微米尺度的思考,实现了多尺度聚合物刷结构的制备.简要综述了聚合物刷在以下3个方面的应用研究:(1)智能驱动,利用聚合物刷构象变化,实现微悬臂驱动、辅助放大的电驱动以及仿毛毛虫运动.(2)生物润滑,利用聚合物的环境响应行为实现了对摩擦系数的调控,并发展了球刷型润滑材料.(3)表面防污,表面接枝含离子液体官能团的聚合物刷,并与仿生技术相结合,利用化学组成和结构化协同效应,得到一系列高性能低毒海洋防污界面材料.     

Exploring Actuation and Mechanotransduction Properties of Polymer Brushes

Soft nanotechnology requires new approaches and materials to efficiently convert chemical energy into mechanical motion and vice versa. A number of key design parameters, such as responsiveness to external stimuli, directionality of response through alignment, transduction via surface stresses or changes in ionic conductivity can be found in polymer brushes and several recent examples of actuation and transduction in polymer brushes will be explored.

     

Synthesis and Applications of Compartmentalised Molecular Polymer Brushes

Polymer science is rapidly advancing towards the precise construction of synthetic macromolecules of formidable complexity. Beyond the impressive advances in control over polymer composition and uniformity enabled by the living polymerisation revolution, the introduction of compartmentalisation within polymer architectures can elevate their functionality beyond that of their constituent parts, thus offering immense potential for the production of tailor‐made nanomaterials. In this Minireview, we discuss synthetic routes to complex molecular brushes with discrete chemical compartments and highlight their potential in the development of advanced materials with applications in nanofabrication, optics and functional materials.     

Block Copolymer Brushes for Completely Decoupled Control of Determinants of Cell–Surface Interactions

The known determinants for cell–surface interactions, comprising biochemical cues, patterns, passivating functionality, and control of tether mechanical properties, are fully decoupled in tailored block copolymer brushes synthesized by surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Exploiting sequential polymerization of a passivating underlying polyacrylamide (PAAm) block with defined cross‐linking followed by a second poly(acrylic acid) block, which can be conjugated with a selective adhesion peptide, hierarchically structured brushes that can be micro‐patterned by soft lithography were obtained. The interaction of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and PaTu 8988t pancreatic tumor cells with brushes that differed only in the stiffness of the hidden PAAm block or only in the peptide ligand, while keeping all other parameters constant, revealing profound differences in cell adhesion and morphology. In particular, cells could only attach well to stiff RGD presenting brushes.     

Transparent Aluminium Oxide Coatings of Polymer Brushes

A novel method for the preparation of transparent Al₂O₃ coatings of polymers is presented. An environmental‐friendly sol–gel method is employed, which implies mild conditions and low costs. A thermoresponsive brush is chosen as a model surface. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to characterize the samples during the conversion of the precursor Al(OH)₃ into oxide and to prove the mildness of the protocol. The study evidences a relation between lateral homogeneity of alumina and the wettability of the polymer surface by the precursor solution, while morphology and elasticity are dominated by the polymer properties. The study of the swelling behavior of the underneath brush reveals the absence of water uptake, proving the impermeability of the alumina layer. The broad chemical and structural variety of polymers, combined with the robustness of transparent alumina films, makes these composites promising as biomedical implants, protective sheets and components for electric and optical devices.     

刺激响应型聚合物刷的研究进展

本文综述了刺激响应型聚合物刷的研究进展,阐述了刺激响应型聚合物刷的分类、与基体表面的连接方式以及常规制备方法,介绍了离子强度、温度、pH值、光、溶剂等刺激响应型聚合物刷及其研究现状,并对相应的刺激响应机理进行了探讨。此外,本文还综述了多重刺激响应型聚合物刷的制备设计思路及其刺激响应特性,概述了聚合物刷在响应外界刺激后对基体的弯曲作用以及利用该作用进行可控三维自组装,并对刺激响应型聚合物刷的应用前景进行了展望。     

Surface Initiated Polymerization on Pulsed Plasma Deposited Polyallylamine: A Polymer Substrate‐Independent Strategy to Soft Surfaces with Polymer Brushes

The deposition of polyallylamine (PAA) adlayers by pulsed plasma polymerization on various types of polymeric substrates has been explored as a general route to amino functionalized polymeric surfaces. These amino groups are highly suitable for anchoring an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator via a robust amide linkage. Subsequent surface initiated ATRP (SI‐ATRP) of monomethoxy oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (MeOEGMA) resulted in polyMeOEGMA brush grafted polymer surfaces. This combined strategy of pulsed plasma polymerization with SI‐ATRP was demonstrated for five different polymeric substrates namely polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Analysis of brush layers by attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR‐IR) spectroscopy as well as X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) fully corroborated the success of the proposed strategy for all substrate types.

     

粒子-聚合物相互作用与粒子-粒子相互作用对聚合物基纳米复合物力学性能的影响

聚合物基纳米复合物(PNCs)具有比传统高分子材料更加优异的光学、力学、热力学等性能,广泛应用于各个工程领域.而纳米粒子(NPs)对材料性能提高的机理则是当前聚合物纳米复合物领域研究的重要问题,聚合物纳米复合体系相互作用的影响因素众多,至今尚未明确并完整建立复合体系相互作用与性能增强之间的关系.本文总结了近年来关于纳米粒子填充聚合物基体力学性能的研究,从粒子-聚合物相互作用和粒子-粒子相互作用角度阐述了聚合物纳米复合体系力学性能的增强机理,并根据体系中不同的结构关系分别总结了聚合物/未改性纳米粒子复合体系和聚合物/聚合物接枝纳米粒子复合体系中影响力学性能的因素.该部分内容具有重要的理论和实践意义,有助于构建复合体系微观结构与宏观性能之间的关系,进而对微观层面调控PNCs的力学性能提供指导.