(86e) Generating Functional Polymer Surfaces by Implementing Post-Polymerization Modification Reactions On Macromolecular Grafts On Surfaces

The generation of functional amphiphilic long-chain-molecules by implementing small-molecule organic chemistry reactions to homopolymers has attracted great attention due to an increasing number of potential applications in various fields of science and technology.  This post-polymerization modification (PPM) approach circumvents a number of technical issues associated with direct polymer synthesis and enables the creation of polymeric systems that are challenging to produce otherwise.  The method holds especially true in the field of polymer brushes, i.e., macromolecules grafted to surfaces, where the tethering of the polymer chains to a surface complicates often direct polymerization of bulky or hard-to-polymerize/solubilize monomers.  This presentation will provide a succinct overview of a variety of PPM approaches with special emphasis on those performed on homopolymer grafts on surfaces.  A number of applications will be highlighted, including, the generation of surfaces with tailored barrier properties, surface patterning and separations, surfaces with tailored co-monomer sequence distribution, and biologically-active coatings.