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Updated: May 16, 2026

3D Printing and In Situ Surface Modification via Type I Photoinitiated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization
Published on: February 18, 2022
In situ AFM investigation of electrochemically induced surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization
1State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 730000 China.
Abstract:
Electrochemically induced surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization is traced by in situ AFM technology for the first time, which allows visualization of the polymer growth process. It affords a fundamental insight into the surface morphology and growth mechanism simultaneously. Using this technique, the polymerization kinetics of two model monomers were studied, namely the anionic 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SPMA) and the cationic 2-(metharyloyloxy)ethyltrimethylammonium chloride (METAC). The growth of METAC is significantly improved by screening the ammonium cations by the addition of ionic liquid electrolyte in aqueous solution.
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