Step-growth synthesis and interfacial friction properties of surface dendron coatings

We report a new procedure for synthesizing self-assembled two-tiered coatings comprised of a tethered carbosilane dendron canopy layer over an alkylsilane sublayer. The sublayer is anchored to a silicon substrate, and the areal density of the canopy can be controlled by changing the concentration of reactive vinyl groups on the sublayer surface. The structure of the dendron layer is characterized by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS), water contact angle, and ellipsometry. Steric hindrance due to close packing of functional groups has a strong effect on the reaction efficiency, and dendron structure can be obtained only in canopies with low areal densities. Lateral force microscopy (LFM) is used to study interfacial friction and adhesion properties of the coatings. Structural variations in the canopy layer are found to play a crucial role in interfacial friction properties of these coatings.