| AVS 56th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session BI-TuP |
| Session: | Biomaterial Interfaces Poster Session I |
| Presenter: | P. Shivapooja, University of New Mexico |
| Authors: | P. Shivapooja, University of New Mexico L.K. Ista, University of New Mexico S. Mendez, University of New Mexico G.P. Lopez, University of New Mexico |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) is a thermoresponsive polymer that exhibits a change in relative hydrophobicity above and below its lower critical solution temperature (LCST ~ 320C). This stimuli responsive polymer when grafted onto surface can act as a biofouling resistant coating as it has the property of formation and collapse of hydrogen bonding with water molecules below and above the LCST. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has been proven to yield well-defined polymer but in rigorously deoxygenated environment, for example in a Schlenk line or glove box. Matyjaszewski et al. group developed activators regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET) that allow ATRP in presence of limited amount of air [Langmuir 2007, 23, 4528-4531]. We report grafted PNIPAAm brushes synthesized by this relatively simple method of ARGET ATRP which does not require an oxygen-free environment using a small amount of reducing agent together with a catalyst under homogeneous conditions. We evaluated the effect of the amount of reducing agent and reuse of monomer solution on the grafting thickness. The grafted PNIPAAm surfaces have been characterized by FTIR, XPS, contact angle measurements and ellipsometry. We anticipate using these grafted PNIPAAm surfaces for cell adhesion studies above and below the LCST.