화학공학소재연구정보센터
Langmuir, Vol.20, No.26, 11748-11755, 2004
A combinatorial approach to study solvent-induced self-assembly of mixed poly(methyl methacrylate)/polystyrene brushes on planar silica substrates: Effect of relative grafting density
This article reports the study of the effect of relative grafting densities of two polymer chains on solvent-induced self-assembly of mixed poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/polystyrene (PS) brushes through a combinatorial approach. Gradient-mixed PMAA/PS brushes were synthesized from a gradient-mixed initiator-terminated monolayer by combining atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and nitroxide mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) in a two-step process. The gradient-mixed initiator-terminated monolayer was fabricated by first formation of a gradient in density of an ATRP initiator through vapor diffusion followed by backfilling of an NMRP-initiator-terminated trichlorosilane. After treatment of a gradient-mixed brush whose PS M-n was slightly lower than that of PMMA with glacial acetic acid, a selective solvent for PMMA, relatively ordered nanodomains were observed in the region where the ratio of PS to PMMA grafting density (number of polymer chains/nM(2)) was in the range from 0.67 to 2.17 and the overall grafting density was similar to0.85 polymer chains/nm(2). Contact angle hysteresis were high (greater than or equal to40degrees) in this region and XPS studies confirmed that the PMMA chains were enriched at the outermost layer. The nanodomains are speculated to be of a micellar structure with PS chains forming the core shielded by PMMA chains.