title: Polymer-modified opal nanopores.
abstract: The surface of nanopores in opal films, assembled from 205 nm silica spheres, was modified with poly(acrylamide) brushes using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The colloidal crystal lattice remained unperturbed by the polymerization. The polymer brush thickness was controlled by polymerization time and was monitored by measuring the flux of redox species across the opal film using cyclic voltammetry. The nanopore size and polymer brush thickness were calculated on the basis of the limiting current change. Polymer brush thickness increased over the course of 26 h of polymerization in a logarithmic manner from 1.3 to 8.5 nm, leading to nanopores as small as 7.5 nm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schepelina
authors.forename: Ilya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zharov
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D000099166:Polyacrylamides
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000099166:Polyacrylamides