AVS 46th International Symposium
    Applied Surface Science Division Tuesday Sessions
       Session AS-TuP

Paper AS-TuP21
Surface-initiated Anionic Polymerization: Investigation of Functionalized Surfaces and In-situ Polymer Films

Tuesday, October 26, 1999, 5:30 pm, Room 4C

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: J. Mays, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Authors: R.C. Advincula, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Y. Nakamura, University of Alabama at Birmingham
S. Inaoka, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Q. Zhou, University of Alabama at Birmingham
J. Mays, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Correspondent: Click to Email
The surface initiated anionic polymerization is a "grafting from " approach to tethering polymer chains to surfaces. Although various surface-initiated polymerization schemes have appeared recently, we seek to utilize the anionic polymerization approach with its potential to forming monodispersed polymers of controlled MW through "living" polymerization. In this report, we describe the synthesis of the initiator; diphenylethylene (DPE) silane derivative, the activation towards initiation, polymerization mechanism, and characterization of the polymers bound on the substrate. An important focus is the analysis of the substrate before and after formation of the self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) of the initiator. We have utilized electrochemical methods, contact angle, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPS) to characterize the surfaces. We then correlated the initiation and the polymerization mechanism with the properties of the functionalized substrate. In particular we were interested in observing the density and distribution of the initiating species on the surface in a mixed system (alkylsilane) We have observed a dependence on the domain size and mixture composition of the initiator to the microstructure and physical properties of the resulting polymer (polystyrene and PMMA) films. Further characterization will be done on the polymer films by scale-up (using silica particles) and detachment from the surface.