title: Switching water droplet adhesion using responsive polymer brushes.
abstract: Two stimuli-responsive polymers, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA), were grafted from initiator-modified anodized alumina substrates with irregular micro/nanoscale surface topography. The resulting polymer-coated surfaces exhibited highly unusual wettability properties, as spherical water/acid/alkali/salt droplets could be reversibly switched between pinned states and rolling states due to the changes of temperature, pH, and electrolytes. The key to this effect is the combination of a mixed monolayer which provides initiator points for brush growth as well as a permanently hydrophobic substrate and a surface roughness.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.
authors.forename: Xinjie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yongmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D054879:Halogenation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D008689:Methacrylates; D009757:Nylons; C407037:poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate); D014867:Water; C052970:poly-N-isopropylacrylamide