A guide to functionalisation and bioconjugation strategies to surface-initiated polymer brushes

Abstract

Since the first introduction of their concept in the 1980s and 90s, polymer brushes have been the focus of intense research efforts to identify novel physico-chemical properties and responsiveness, and...

A comprehensive review on the biomedical frontiers of nanowire applications

“…Nonetheless, when the sizes are lowered to the nano level, noticeable variations arise in their physical characteristics (magnetic, optical, and electrical). The chemical functionalization of the magnetic nanowires can therefore be performed via bonding the compounds that have amino, hydroxide, carboxylate, or phosphate functionalized [ 218 ]. groups to the raw surface of the nanowires, via either electrostatic or van der Waals forces.…”

Itaconate-Based Clickable Surface-Anchored Cross-Linked Polymeric Coatings

“…Two important approaches have been extensively studied for covalent modification of surfaces using polymers: one uses polymer brushes, where polymer chains are tethered to the surface at one end; here, the thickness of the coating scales with the length of the anchored polymer chain. , The second approach uses reactive polymers that can anchor onto the surface at multiple points via suitable functionality; here, the thickness is not controlled at a molecular level but more by the process conditions. – Both of these approaches have been adopted to develop reactive coatings; in the first approach, by a suitable choice of the monomer (comonomer), the polymer brushes can be designed to possess reactive functional groups that can be used to modify the substrate in a second step. It is important to recognize that polymer brushes can be of varying surface densityfrom sparse to densely anchored brush structures; the latter are typically generated via a surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization, such as SI-atom transfer radical polymerization, while the former can be generated by grafting reactive chain-ends of preformed polymers onto substrates . The behavior of these two types of brush polymers is very different, especially in the context of subsequent modification using different reactive agents to render specific characteristics to the coated surface.…”

“…Two important approaches have been extensively studied for covalent modification of surfaces using polymers: one uses polymer brushes, where polymer chains are tethered to the surface at one end; here, the thickness of the coating scales with the length of the anchored polymer chain. 5,6 The second approach uses reactive polymers that can anchor onto the surface at multiple points via suitable functionality; here, the thickness is not controlled at a molecular level but more by the process conditions. 7−9 Both of these approaches have been adopted to develop reactive coatings; in the first approach, by a suitable choice of the monomer (comonomer), the polymer brushes can be designed to possess reactive functional groups that can be used to modify the substrate in a second step.…”

“…7−9 Both of these approaches have been adopted to develop reactive coatings; in the first approach, by a suitable choice of the monomer (comonomer), the polymer brushes can be designed to possess reactive functional groups that can be used to modify the substrate in a second step. It is important to recognize that polymer brushes can be of varying surface density�from sparse to densely anchored brush structures; the latter are typically generated via a surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization, such as SI-atom transfer radical polymerization, 5 while the former can be generated by grafting reactive chain-ends of preformed polymers onto substrates. 4 The behavior of these two types of brush polymers is very different, especially in the context of subsequent modification using different reactive agents to render specific characteristics to the coated surface.…”

“…Reactive polymer coatings serve as primers that can covalently bind to surfaces while at the same time permitting the installation of desired segments in a postcoating step; this, in turn, can be used to alter the chemical composition of any surface and consequently modify their surface properties. – Evidently, covalent attachment of polymers to the substrate offers better stability compared to those that depend on physisorption. Two important approaches have been extensively studied for covalent modification of surfaces using polymers: one uses polymer brushes, where polymer chains are tethered to the surface at one end; here, the thickness of the coating scales with the length of the anchored polymer chain. , The second approach uses reactive polymers that can anchor onto the surface at multiple points via suitable functionality; here, the thickness is not controlled at a molecular level but more by the process conditions. – Both of these approaches have been adopted to develop reactive coatings; in the first approach, by a suitable choice of the monomer (comonomer), the polymer brushes can be designed to possess reactive functional groups that can be used to modify the substrate in a second step. It is important to recognize that polymer brushes can be of varying surface densityfrom sparse to densely anchored brush structures; the latter are typically generated via a surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization, such as SI-atom transfer radical polymerization, while the former can be generated by grafting reactive chain-ends of preformed polymers onto substrates .…”