Fielding, L.A., Edmondson, S. and Armes, S.P. (2011) Synthesis of pH-responsive tertiary amine methacrylate polymer brushes and their response to acidic vapour. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 21 (32). 11773 - 11780. ISSN 0959-9428
Abstract
Weak polyelectrolyte brushes exhibit pH-responsive swelling behaviour, tuneable surface energy, and some promise as “smart” responsive coatings. In this paper, we demonstrate the growth of two weak polybase brushes by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerisation (SI-ATRP) using electrostatically adsorbed polyelectrolyte macro-initiators. Poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEA) and poly[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDPA) brushes of 150 and 170 nm thickness respectively were grown within 22 h at 20 °C. Using in situellipsometry an acid-induced swelling transition was observed at pH 7.4 for PDEA and pH 6.5 for PDPA, similar to the pKa values reported for the corresponding free polymer chains. The kinetics of brush swelling involves an initially fast regime followed by a subsequent slower regime. Reversible surface energy switching with pH modulation was also demonstrated by contact angle goniometry. Finally, it was demonstrated that PDPA brushes respond to the presence of acidic vapours. On exposure to humid HCl vapour, such brushes become hydrophilic, resulting in water uptake and swelling, producing a visible change in the thin film interference colour.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2011 Royal Society of Chemistry. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Journal of Materials Chemistry. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | TRANSFER RADICAL POLYMERIZATION; AQUEOUS-SOLUTION PROPERTIES; CASE-II DIFFUSION; POLYELECTROLYTE BRUSHES; SURFACE POLYMERIZATION; AMBIENT-TEMPERATURE; DIBLOCK COPOLYMERS; PROTIC MEDIA; SILICA SOLS; BEHAVIOR |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Chemistry (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 09 May 2014 09:33 |
Last Modified: | 19 Apr 2017 10:44 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c1jm11412c |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Royal Society of Chemistry |
Identification Number: | 10.1039/c1jm11412c |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:78387 |