Amyloid-mediated platform for open-air surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Surface Science

Background:

• Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) offers precise polymer brush fabrication.
• Current SI-ATRP methods face challenges including oxygen sensitivity, catalyst contamination, slow kinetics, and difficult initiator immobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a simplified and efficient strategy for SI-ATRP.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional SI-ATRP techniques for practical surface modification.

Main Methods:

• Developed an interfacial concentration-assisted grafting (ICG) strategy using a phase-transitioned lysozyme (PTL) nanofilm.
• Utilized the PTL layer for universal initiator immobilization via a one-pot aqueous process.
• Leveraged the PTL film to concentrate monomers and catalyst at the interface, creating a high-reactivity zone.

Main Results:

• Achieved rapid polymer brush growth under open-air conditions with significantly lower monomer and catalyst concentrations.
• Demonstrated universal initiator immobilization on diverse substrates.
• Synthesized various functional polymer brushes, including zwitterionic, cationic, anionic, and nonpolar types.

Conclusions:

• The ICG strategy simplifies initiator anchoring and reduces resource consumption.
• Enhanced oxygen tolerance and accelerated kinetics improve the practicality and scalability of SI-ATRP.
• This approach broadens the applicability of SI-ATRP for advanced surface modification applications.