FUNCTIONAL AND PATTERNABLE ELECTRO-GRAFTED COATINGS

The use of electro-grafted materials provided a quick and efficient route to functionalize conducting surfaces. The unique properties of electroactive materials allow for large surface areas to be covered by the material being deposited. Chapter 1 reviews recent developments and practices in the use of electro-grafted materials. Chapter 2 reports the fabrication of patterned binary polymer brushes via colloidal particle templating combined with electrodeposited atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerization (RAFT), and ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) initiators. Chapter 3 demonstrates a new approach of creating topologically and well-defined patterned polymeric surfaces via the “grafting to” approach. This was accomplished by either using colloidally templated “clickable” arrays, whereby the chemistry was performed directly onto the pattern or by subsequent backfilling with azido terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAM). Similarly, direct grafting of electroactive temperature-responsive oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylic polymers to colloidally templated surfaces allowed for tunable ion gate formation. In chapter 4, a novel one step approach to fabricate superhydrophobic and superoleophilic coatings is reported. Due to the incorporation of an ATRP moiety into the coating, surface initiated ATRP (SI-ATRP) was performed to change the wettability of the substrates towards a variety of liquids. Chapter 5 reports the fabrication of polymerizable superhydrophobic coating by using a facile one step procedure i.e. electrodeposition. These coating exhibited tunable bacterial adhesion, self-cleaning capabilities, and corrosion resistance. Similarly, surface initiated ATRP of 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate (HDFM) was performed on a steel slide. Subsequent static water, diiodomethane, and hexadecane contact angles revealed that the steel coated surface was now superamphiphobic. In chapter 6 the fabrication of pendant terthiophene polymer brushes and their application as ultrathin films is demonstrated. Ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies showed differences in the film structure at various stages of film development. These films were subsequently employed for the investigation of electrochemical nanopatterning using current sensing AFM as a writing technique. The pattern formation was demonstrated in order to show the possibility for future applications, such as information storage devices and nanowires. Finally in chapter 7, conclusions, perspectives, and future work based on chapters 2-5 is presented.