17 - Nanofabrication of thin polymer films

Abstract

Surface structure and behavior of fiber materials are of utmost importance for the properties of fibers and textiles in processing and use, since friction, abrasion, wetting, adhesion, adsorption, and penetration phenomena are involved. In order to obtain textile materials with the desired performance, the fiber surface is often modified with polymer layers before use. Numerous surface modifications involving oxidation, reduction, elimination, addition, cyclization and condensation, and grafting of macromolecules have been described in the literature. Among them, the grafting technique has several advantages over others, including easy and controllable introduction of new polymer chains with a high surface density, precise localization of the chain at the surface, and long stability of the grafted layers. There are several major parameters that control the grafted layer properties: grafting density, chain length, polydispersity, and the chemical composition of the chains. This chapter discusses the synthesis and characterization of the nanothick, chemically grafted polymer films (polymer brushes) on inorganic and polymeric substrates, including polymer fibers. The synthesis has been conducted employing the recently developed macromolecular anchoring layer approach. The chapter also presents examples of the application of the polymer grafting technique for the generation of hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and switchable fibrous materials.