title: A versatile, fast, and efficient method of visible-light-induced surface grafting polymerization.
abstract: To overcome the problem caused by the lability of the Au-S bond, we demonstrate the first use of Mn2(CO)10 for visible-light-induced surface grafting polymerization on Au surfaces in this paper. The visible-light-induced surface grafting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) has the features of a "controlled" polymerization, which is characterized by a linear relationship between the thickness of the grafting layer and the monomer concentration. Ellipsometry indicated the formation of PNIPAAm films of up to ∼200 nm in thickness after only 10 min of polymerization at room temperature, demonstrating that this is a very fast process in comparison with traditional grafting polymerization techniques. Moreover, to demonstrate the potential applications of our approach, different substrates grafted by PNIPAAm and the covalent immobilization of a range of polymers on Au surfaces were also demonstrated. Considering the advantages of simplicity, efficiency, and mild reaction conditions as well as the ability of catecholic derivatives to bind to a large variety of substrates, this visible-light-induced grafting method is expected to be useful in designing functional interfaces.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University , 199 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xinhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yafei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luan
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Zhaoqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen