Localized and structured growth of polymer brushes using ink jet printing approach

Abstract

Inkjet printing (IJP) technique has been used for the deposition of silica nanoparticles with controlled position and shape onto flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrate. The printed silica areas have been chemically functionalized with a silane molecule bearing an ATRP initiator group. Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerisation (SI-ATRP) methodology has been betrothed to grow polymer brushes onto the silica printed areas. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used after each step of functionalisation in order to determine the elemental surface composition. In addition, IJP has been used to design specific pattern at 250 micrometer scale. By combining maskless IJP technic and XPS line-scan mode, this work clearly demonstrates that the position and the pattern shape of printed areas can be controlled on demand, and that, structurally polymer brushes are only generated onto the functionalised silica printed areas.