Grafting Rates of Amine-Functionalized Polystyrenes onto Epoxidized Silica Surfaces

Oligomer or polymer chains that are irreversibly attached, i.e., by polymer grafting rather than segmental adsorption, to a solid surface are important because they impart permanent performance characteristics to the surface without altering the bulk properties. Such grafted layers have potential applications in areas as diverse as adhesive bonding, bioengineering, and friction and wear. Although fully formed grafted layers have received considerable attention from both theorists and experimentalists, relatively little work has been conducted on the kinetics of layer formation, starting with the attachment of the first chain and following through to saturation, where no further grafting occurs. In this communication, we report results of a comparative study of the grafting of two well-defined, end-functionalized polystyrene samples to the epoxidized surface of a silica substrate.