Reactive patterning via post-functionalization of polymer brushes utilizing disuccinimidyl carbonate activation to couple primary amines

Polymer brushes provide an exceptional route to surface functionalization due to their chemical and mechanical robustness, lack of large-area defects, and high density of functional groups. In spite of these benefits, the synthetic difficulty and complex surface structure associated with polymer brushes have hindered their utilization for constructing multifunctional, patterned surfaces. In this contribution we describe the use of a rapid and highly efficient polymer brush post-functionalization technique as a facile method for controlling surface functionality of polymer brushes. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) brushes are post-functionalized via activation with N,N′-disuccinimidyl carbonate (DSC) and subsequent coupling to molecules containing α-amine moieties. This post-functionalization effectively tailors surface energy resulting in water contact angles ranging from 40° to 100° using different conjugate molecules. Furthermore, the solvent tolerance, insensitivity to reactant concentration, and rapid reaction time of the aminolysis reaction enable surface energy patterning of the polymer brushes through the use of “reactive” soft lithography. Finally, these surface energy patterns could be “developed” by exposure to gold nanoparticle solutions to yield surfaces with patterned nanoparticle density.