Functional polymer-silicon hybrids via surface-initiated living radical polymerizations

Abstract

Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is a versatile tool for surface functionalization and allows the preparation of well-defined polymer brushes with dormant chain ends on various types of substrates. The aims of this work were to develop simple methods for immobilizing ATRP initiators, via Si-C bonding, and to prepare a series of well-defined and patterned functional polymer-silicon hybrids via surface-initiated ATRP. The well-defined polymer-silicon hybrids could be exploited as biomaterials for controlling cell adhesion and for coupling biomacromolecules. In addition, surface-initiated ATRP was combined with nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization, or reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, to prepare micropatterned and binary polymer brushes on a Si(100) surface. With the inherent advantage of the electronic properties of silicon substrates, the well-defined (and patterned) functional polymer brushes, and with the bio-reactivity of the coupled biomacromolecules, the functional polymer-silicon hybrids are potentially useful for the fabrication of silicon-based biomedical devices.