Layer-by-layer assembly on polyethylene films via "click" chemistry

Layer-by-layer assembly has received much attention over the last fifteen years. This assembly process can be carried out using different methods including hydrogen-bonding, electrostatic, and to a lesser extent, covalent interactions. However, these assemblies are rarely seen on polyolefin substrates due to the lack of functionality on the surface. ?Click? chemistry has become very popular in recent years as a means to join modular compounds together. This thesis is the first published report to use ?click? chemistry as a means for layer-by-layer assembly on a polymeric substrate. By designing polymers that contain alkyne or azide groups, it is possible to assemble them layer-by-layer on a polyethylene substrate. Polymers based on tert-butyl acrylate were initially designed for use in organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran. The copper catalyst that facilitated the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition was air sensitive and expensive. To capture the true essence of ?click? chemistry, a new system was designed based on N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM)-based polymers. These polymers were water soluble and allowed for ?click? chemistry to be performed in water and open to air in benign conditions. With the development of a water soluble polymer system that could be modified to contain either azide groups or alkyne groups, layer-by-layer assembly was carried out in water. A polyethylene film was modified in a series of reactions to have an alkyne-functionalized surface. The poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-based polymers were layered in an alternating fashion to form multilayer assemblies. A series of control reactions were also performed, showing that these layers were interconnected via triazole linkages. These assemblies were monitored by attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy. Once the layers were assembled, the polyvalent nature of the polymers allowed for further functionalization. Various surface functionalizations were established using fluorescence microscopy and contact angle analysis. By using spectroscopic and chemical means, layer-by-layer assembly on polyethylene films was proven. Control reactions showed the necessity of components for triazole formation. Therefore, layer-by-layer assembly using ?click? chemistry was achieved.