Tailoring Surface Properties through in Situ Functionality Gradients in Reactively Modified Poly(2-vinyl-4,4-dimethyl azlactone) Thin Films
[1];
[2];
[3]
- Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences
- Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry. Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Generating physical or chemical gradients in thin-film scaffolds is an efficient approach for screening and optimizing an interfacial structure or chemical functionality to create tailored surfaces that are useful because of their wetting, antifouling, or barrier properties. In this paper, the relationship between the structure of poly(2-vinyl-4,4-dimethyl azlactone) (PVDMA) brushes created by the preferential assembly of poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-block-PVDMA diblock copolymers and the ability to chemically modify the PVDMA chains in situ to create a gradient in functionality are examined to investigate how the extent of functionalization affects the interfacial and surface properties. The introduction of a chemical gradient by controlled immersion allows reactive modification to generate position-dependent properties that are assessed by ellipsometry, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and atomic force microscopy imaging. After functionalization of the azlactone rings with n-alkyl amines, ellipsometry confirms an increase in thickness and contact angle measurements support an increase in hydrophobicity along the substrate. These results are used to establish relationships between layer thickness, reaction time, position, and the extent of functionalization and demonstrate that gradual immersion into the functionalizing solution results in a linear change in chemical functionality along the surface. Finally, these findings broadly support efforts to produce tailored surfaces by in situ chemical modification, having application as tailored membranes, protein resistant surfaces, or sensors.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725; 1133320; 1512221
- OSTI ID:
- 1468219
- Journal Information:
- Langmuir, Vol. 34, Issue 18; ISSN 0743-7463
- Publisher:
- American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Similar Records
Manipulating Interfaces through Surface Confinement of Poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-block-poly(vinyldimethylazlactone), a Dually Reactive Block Copolymer
Fabricating Reactive Surfaces with Brush-like and Crosslinked Films of Azlactone-Functionalized Block Co-Polymers