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Surface-Initiated Controlled Radical Polymerization: Going beyond Laboratory Scale

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DOI

Surface coatings of immobilized polymer brushes are used, e.g., as lubricants, for anti-fouling, and as adhesives. Based on surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization (SI-CRP), a fast, versatile, and enduring scaled SI-CRP (SI-CRP scaled) approach for the formation of polymer brushes is reported. The chemical process is made from an easily prepared chemical solution that is reusable for more than 6 h, even in the presence of oxygen. Because an inert atmosphere is not required, the SI-CRP scaled process can be carried out under ambient conditions with no significant loss of polymerization activity and viability. The high bath life of the activated solution along with an extraordinarily high brush growth rate of 10 nm per minute makes this method industrially relevant. Based on a straightforward dip coating protocol, this is the first scaled polymer brush technique successfully demonstrated on an industrial scale, enabling uniform polymer brush-functionalized materials for a broader variety of applications.

Original languageEnglish
JournalACS Applied Polymer Materials
Volume5
Issue5
Pages (from-to)3534-3541
Number of pages8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Apr 2023

    Research areas

  • industrial scale, long-lived, polymer brushes, surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization (SI-CRP), thin films

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