title: Preparation of surface-attached polymer layers by thermal or photochemical activation of α-diazoester moieties.
abstract: We report on the attachment of polymer monolayers or surface-attached, polymer networks onto SiO2 and/or polymer surfaces using thermo- and photoreactive α-diazoester groups. In the prior case, the α-diazoester groups are introduced into the system in the form of self-assembled monolayers of appropriately functionalized silanes. The monolayer decorated substrates are coated by polymer films and the α-diazoester groups in the monolayer are activated by heat or irradiation with UV-light. Upon activation, they cleave off nitrogen and the resulting carbene intermediates insert into C-H bonds of neighboring polymer chains. As a result of this binding process, surface-attached monolayers of the deposited polymer are obtained. When the polymers themselves carry such reactive moieties, the photo- or thermal activation leads to cross-linking of the polymers and thin surface-attached polymer networks result from the same process. The formation of the surface-attached layer is studied as a function of activation conditions, especially the temperature and the wavelength of the light used in the process.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros (CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez Perrino
authors.forename: Oswald
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Prucker
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rühe