19 nm‐Thick Grafted‐To Polymer Brushes onto Optimized Poly(Dopamine)‐Coated Surfaces

Grafting-to polymer coatings are typically easy to apply, but the thickness of such is limited a few nanometers, which may hamper applications. This paper presents grafting-to coating approach that yields brushes up an unprecedented 19 nm. To this aim, easy-to-apply poly(dopamine) (PDA) primer layer optimized. PDA easy-to-apply, highly complex and chemically not well understood layer. In study, deposited on silicon substrates using several deposition protocols (pH 4–7 in presence NaIO4, from Tris solution at pH 8.5). The modified surfaces characterized X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, static water contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy. Subsequently, block copolymers poly(glycidyl methacrylate)20-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)n attached onto films approach. results indicate conditions film strongly influence stability grafting efficiency copolymers. 7 with NaIO4 stable, yield most efficient grafting, grafted layers as thick Polymer rarely achieved procedures solution.