Binding behaviors of streptavidin were investigated with different lateral packing densities of biotin-functionalized, non-biofouling pOEGMA brushes, synthesized by surface-initiated polymerization from mixed SAMs with different mole fractions of the polymerization initiator on gold surfaces.

Oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA) was polymerized from a polymerization initiator-presenting gold substrate by Activator ReGenerated by Electron Transfer Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ARGET ATRP) in water. Compared with the normal surface-initiated ATRP (SI-ATRP), SI-ARGET ATRP of OEGMA proceeded smoothly in the presence of air with L-ascorbic acid as a reducing agent and a CuBr2/2,2'-bipyridyl complex at the ppm level. In addition, SI-ARGET ATRP did not require the additional steps for removing a polymerization inhibitor from the OEGMA monomer and for deoxygenating the solvent. The ellipsometric measurements showed that the polymerized OEGMA (pOEGMA) films prepared by SI-ARGET ATRP were on average 10 times thicker than those prepared by normal SI-ATRP with the same monomer concentration and polymerization time.