Surface-initiated group transfer polymerization mediated by rare earth metal catalysts

We present the first example of a surface-initiated group transfer polymerization (SI-GTP) mediated by rare earth metal catalysts for polymer brush synthesis. The experimentally facile method allows rapid grafting of polymer brushes with a thickness of >150 nm in <5 min at room temperature. We show the preparation of common poly(methacrylate) brushes and demonstrate that SI-GTP is a versatile route for the preparation of novel polymer brushes. The method gives access to both thermoresponsive and proton-conducting brush layers.