Mixed Polymer Brushes with Locking Switching

Abstract

Mixed polymer brushes, made of two different kinds of polymers randomly grafted to the same solid substrate, were introduced as switchable interfaces for a number of promising applications. The switching properties of the mixed polymer brushes are substantially dependent on grafting density, molecular weight, compatibility of two distinct grafted polymers, and their interaction with the solvent. This work reports the mixed polymer brushes with the property of locking switching. The wetting properties of such a mixed brush can be switched between the wetting properties of individual constituting polymers by appropriate selection of solvent. However, the mixed polymer brushes wetting behavior can be locked in the hydrophobic state. This kinetically frozen methastable state, however, can be unlocked via treatment by proper "unlocking" solvent. This locking and unlocking of the hydrophobic state of the mixed brush with specific solvents could find useful applications for the development of functional materials.