Poly (N-hydroxy methyl acrylamide)-grafted silicon, glass, and quartz surfaces were successfully prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) with methyl alcohol/water mixtures as solvents and CuCl/2,2-dipyridyl as a catalyst. The modified surfaces were characterized by water contact angle, atomic force microscope (AFM), Fluorescence spectrophotometer, Low-angle X-ray diffraction (LAXRD), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the homogeneous and well hydrophilic N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide polymer brushes (NHAM-brushes), which had high hydrophilic properties and the added advantage of providing 3-D coatings with higher binding capacities, were obtained successfully. Cyclopalladated arylimine functionalized polymer brushes were also obtained by reacting HAM-brushes with N,N'-Carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) and cyclopalladated arylimine. The catalyst functionalized PHAM-brushes had good catalytic activity in heterogeneous compared to homogeneous catalyst and exhibited much improved stability and recyclability over time in Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.