Abstract
High-density, end-anchored macromolecules that form so-called polymer brushes are popular components of bio-inspired surface coatings. In a bio-mimetic approach, they have been utilized to reduce friction, repel contamination and control wetting, in particular in the development of biomedical materials. For reliable application of these coatings, it is critical that the performance of these coatings does not degrade in time. Yet, it is well-known that polymer brushes can deteriorate and degraft when exposed to water(-vapor) and this strongly limits the durability of these coatings. In this article, we provide an overview of the current status of research on the stability of polymer brushes. Moreover, we review different synthetic strategies, some of which are bio-inspired by itself, to enhance the long-term stability of these brushes. Based on this overview, we identify open question and issues to be resolved for brushes to be applied as durable bio-inspired surface coatings.
Highlights
High-density, end-anchored macromolecules that form so-called polymer brushes are popular components of bio-inspired surface coatings
We identify open question and issues to be resolved for brushes to be applied as durable bio-inspired surface coatings
Li et al observed that the height of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polymer brushes with a PMMA anchor thickness of 11 nm decreased to 88%, while the same brushes with a PMMA anchor height of 2.8 nm decreased to 78%
Summary
Zhichao Ding obtained his bachelor degree in polymer science and engineering from the College of Polymer Materials and Engineering at Sichuan University in 2020 In his final year project, he focuses on the preparation of stable polymer brushes for biomedical applications. To obtain polymer brushes with high grafting densities, the ‘‘grafting from’’ synthesis-method is typically employed.[49,50] (see Fig. 1c) In this method, the macromolecules are polymerized from initiators on the substrate. For these surface-initiated (SI) approaches, controlled radical polymerization techniques, such as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP),[51–53] nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP)[54] or reversible addition– fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT),[55–57] are utilized to ensure a narrow dispersity of the polymers. We finalize this review with an outlook and open questions and challenges in the field
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