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Engineering adhesion to thermoresponsive substrates: effect of polymer composition on liquid-liquid-solid wetting
Filippo Gambinossi1, Lauren S Sefcik, Erik Wischerhoff
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lafayette College , 740 High Street, Easton18042, Pennsylvania, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 9, 2015
Summary
Researchers controlled liquid-liquid-solid adhesion using thermosensitive polymers. Adjusting copolymer ratios tuned the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, impacting surface energy and cellular attachment for engineered materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Surface Science
Background:
- Controlling adhesion in liquid-liquid-solid systems is crucial for applications like self-cleaning surfaces and biocompatible materials.
- Responsive polymer chemistry and molecular self-assembly offer methods to modulate adhesion at solid/liquid interfaces via external stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of hydrophobicity on adhesion phenomena in liquid-liquid-solid systems.
- To explore the use of thermosensitive copolymers, P(MEO2MAx-co-OEGMAy), for tunable adhesion control.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized random copolymers of di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (MEO2MA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA).
- Investigated the hydrophilic-to-lipophilic balance (HBL) by varying copolymer ratios (x/y) and applying external triggers (temperature, ionic strength).
- Measured contact angles at the water-decane-polymer brush interface to determine surface energy and wettability transitions.
Main Results:
- Copolymer composition (x/y ratio) dictates macromolecular changes and controls the HBL of polymer brushes.
- A clear transition in wettability was observed, linked to the lower critical solution temperature of the polymer brushes.
- The study extracted energetics of liquid-liquid-solid adhesion as a function of copolymer ratio, correlating with contact angle measurements.
Conclusions:
- Tuning the copolymer composition of P(MEO2MAx-co-OEGMAy) allows precise control over liquid-liquid-solid adhesion.
- Changes in cellular attachment on substrates with varying compositions highlight the biological relevance of controlled adhesion.
- This approach offers a pathway for designing engineered materials with tailored adhesive properties for diverse applications.
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