Polymer, Vol.99, 623-632, 2016
Surface functionalization of honeycomb-patterned porous poly(epsilon-caprolactone) films by interfacial polymerization of aniline
We present a new and facile strategy for the fabrication of conducting honeycomb-patterned porous films through interfacial polymerization. Polymer solutions containing poly(epsilon-carprolactone) (PCL) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) in chloroform was fabricated under high humid conditions to obtain PCL-BPO honeycomb patterned films. The films were treated with aqueous aniline hydrochloride solution to polymerize aniline at the interface of the PCL film and aniline hydrochloride solution. PCL-BPO films served dual role of a template as well as an oxidant. The proposed strategy retains the electrical conductivity of polyaniline as well as the mechanical strength and biodegradable properties of PCL. In contrast with in-situ templated bulk polymerization methods, the proposed method exhibits the advantage of retaining porosity without causing any wreckage. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Polyaniline;poly(epsilon-caprolactone);Functionalized films;Breath figure method;Honeycomb-pattern