Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Polymer-Brush Gradients within Elastomeric Supports by Cu0-Mediated Surface-Initiated ATRP
Abstract: Cu0-mediated surface-initiated ATRP (Cu0 SI-ATRP) emerges as a versatile, oxygen-tolerant process to functionalize three-dimensional (3D), microporous supports forming single and multiple polymer-brush gradients with a fully tunable composition. When polymerization mixtures are dispensed on a Cu0-coated plate, this acts as oxygen scavenger and source of active catalyst. In the presence of an ATRP initiator-bearing microporous elastomer placed in contact with the metallic plate, the reaction solution infiltrates by capillarity through the support, simultaneously triggering the controlled growth of polymer brushes. The polymer grafting process proceeds with kinetics that are determined by the progressive infiltration of the reaction solution within the microporous support and by the continuous diffusion of catalyst regenerated at the Cu0 surface. The combination of these effects enables the accessible generation of 3D polymer-brush gradients extending across the microporous scaffolds used as supports, finally providing materials with a continuous variation of interfacial composition and properties.
Author(s): Albers, R.F.; Magrini, T.; Romio, M.; Leite, E.R. ; Libanori, R.; Studart, A.R. ; Benetti, E.M.
ACS Macro Lett.
Published: August 11, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00446
CDMF
The CDMF, hosted at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), is one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDC) supported by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp), and also receives investment from the National Council Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), from the National Institute of Science and Technology of Materials in Nanotechnology (INCTMN).
