A simple and economic method is presented that allows
the preparation of transparent polystyrene (PS) substrates activated
with chlorosulfonyl groups. Chlorosulfonation has been analyzed by
ATR-FTIR. Linear PS chains with different degrees of chlorosulfonation
have been synthesized as model compounds in order to analyze the modification
quantitatively. After chlorosulfonation the activated surfaces can
be quantitatively converted in aqueous solution at room temperature
to sulfo or sulfonazide groups or react with bifunctional aliphatic
amines of different length via formation of sulfonamide linkages.
In this way, surfaces with a huge variety of functionalities like
amines, carboxylic or sulfonic groups, sulfonazides, esters, etc.
may be obtained in a selective way controlling their density at the
surface. In all cases, functional surfaces with excellent optical
transparency are obtained. Aminated surfaces have successfully been
probed for ELISA assays.