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Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer Brushes on Micromechanical Cantilevers
Author(s) -
Bumbu GinaGabriela,
Kircher Gunnar,
Wolkenhauer Markus,
Berger Rüdiger,
Gutmann Jochen S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.200400195
Subject(s) - materials science , atom transfer radical polymerization , polymer , polymer brush , polymer chemistry , cantilever , brush , layer (electronics) , polymerization , composite material , chemical engineering , engineering
Summary: A technique to cover microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), such as micromechanical cantilever (MC) sensors, with a covalently bound brush layer has been developed. The polymer layer was grown using a “grafting‐from” synthesis of polymer brushes under mild conditions, by surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ellipsometry have revealed a uniform thickness of about 12 nm from which a grafting density of polymer brushes of 0.19 chains · nm −2 was estimated. The coating with polymer brushes can be realized on a selected surface. It was shown that a single‐sided brush layer swells reversibly in toluene, resulting in a bending of the micromechanical cantilever.Schematic representation of the PMMA brush synthesis on the MC surface, by surface‐initiated ATRP.