Journal
POLYMER
Volume 79, Issue -, Pages 65-72Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2015.09.023
Keywords
Azobenzene containing cationic surfactants; Photosensitive polymer brushes; Opto-mechanically induced scission of; polymer chains
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Funding
- VolkswagenStiftung, Germany
- DFG [SA1657/8-1]
- International Max Plan Research Graduate School on Multiscale Bio-systems (Potsdam, Germany)
- Helmholtz Graduate School on Macromolecular Bioscience (Teltow, Germany)
- National Science Foundation [DMR-1404639]
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien
- Division Of Materials Research [1404639] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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We report on rendering polyelectrolyte brushes photosensitive by loading them with azobenzene-containing cationic surfactants. Planar poly( methacrylic acid) (PMAA) brushes are synthesized using the grafting from free-radical polymerization scheme followed by exposure to a solution of photosensitive surfactants consisting of positively-charged head groups and hydrophobic tails into which azobenzene moieties are inserted. In this study the length of the hydrophobic methylene spacer connecting the azobenzene and the charged head group ranges from 4 to 10 CH2 groups. Under irradiation with UV light, the photo-isomerization of azobenzene integrated into a surfactant results in a change in size, geometry, dipole moment and free volume of the whole molecule. When the brush loaded with photosensitive surfactants is exposed to irradiation with UV interference patterns, the topography of the brush deforms following the distribution of the light intensity, exhibiting surface relief gratings (SRG). Since SRG formation is accompanied by a local rupturing of polymer chains in areas from which the polymer material is receding, most of the polymer material is removed from the surface during treatment with good solvent, leaving behind characteristic patterns of lines or dots. The azobenzene molecules still integrated within the polymer film can be removed by washing the brush with water. The remaining nano-structured brush can then be re-used for further functionalization. Although the opto-mechanically induced rupturing occurs for all surfactants, larger species do not penetrate deep enough into the brush such that after rupturing a leftover layer of polymer material remains on the substrate. This indicates that rupturing occurs predominantly in regions of high surfactant density. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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