Surface-initiated single-electron transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylamide on silicon substrate at ambient temperature

Yucel F. M., YİLDİRİM E., ÇAYKARA T.

JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE PART A-POLYMER CHEMISTRY, cilt.57, sa.10, ss.1140-1146, 2019 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

Özet

2-Hydroxyethyl acrylamide was successfully polymerized via single-electron transfer initiation on the silicon surface and propagation through the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (SET-RAFT) polymerization at ambient temperature for different polymerization times. This work is the first time application of the surface-initiated SET-RAFT mechanism to afford the preparation of well-defined poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) [poly(HEAAm)] brushes at ambient temperature. The polymerization was well controlled and produced poly(HEAAm) brushes on the silicon surface with a well-defined target molecular weight. The controlled nature of the polymerization was further demonstrated in the presence of sulfur atoms at the chain ends in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments. The grafting density (sigma, chains nm(-2)) and the average distance between grafting points (D, nm) were found to be 0.42 chains nm(-2) and 1.74nm, respectively, indicating moderate grafting density. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.