Combining plasmachemical emulsion-templating with ATRP to create macroporous lipophilic surfaces

[Display omitted] •Alkyl side chain polymer brushes grown off plasmachemical deposited initiator layers.•Surface immobilisation of phospholipids onto alkyl side chain polymer brushes.•Efficacy of lipid binding is governed by polymer brush alkyl side chain length.•Applicable to flat and porous substrates (plasmachemical emulsion-templating). Well-defined alkyl chain side group polymer brushes have been tethered onto high surface area macroporous pulsed plasmachemical emulsion-templated poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) initiator layers (typically 600–700m2g−1) using atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP). Immobilisation of phospholipids onto these bioactive surfaces is found to occur through interdigitation, and the efficacy of lipid binding is governed by the alkyl side group chain length of the polymer brushes.