High density hydrophilic and hydrophobic brush coatings using a polymeric primer layer

Polymer brush coatings, consisting of polymer chains covalently attached to a surface and being less than a hundred nanometer thick, allow the creation of functional surfaces without altering the inherent bulk properties or appearance of a product. Surface properties depend on the type and length of the polymer used, as well as on the grafting density of the polymer brush. By making use of a polymeric primer layer that is covalently linked to the substrate and creates a uniform and highly functionalized surface, polymer brush coatings with high grafting densities can be created. In this paper we report the preparation of hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic brush coatings on different substrates through the use of a poly(acrylic acid) primer layer. In addition, hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) brush coatings thus produced were shown to decrease adhesion of marine bacteria.