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Are Electrografted Polymers Chemisorbed or Physisorbed onto their Substrate?
Author(s) -
Cuenot Stéphane,
Gabriel Sabine,
Jérôme Christine,
Jérôme Robert,
Duwez AnneSophie
Publication year - 2005
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.200400515
Subject(s) - polymer , physisorption , force spectroscopy , substrate (aquarium) , materials science , polymer chemistry , molecule , acrylate , atomic force microscopy , polymer substrate , chemical engineering , chemistry , nanotechnology , composite material , organic chemistry , adsorption , copolymer , oceanography , geology , engineering
Summary: AFM‐based single‐molecule force spectroscopy was used to evaluate the mechanical strength of the link between a polymer and the substrate onto which the polymer is electrografted. Poly( N ‐succinimidyl acrylate) was electrografted onto gold substrates and brought into contact with an aminothiol‐functionalized AFM tip. Bridging of single polymer chains resulting from the strong coupling between the activated esters on the polymer and amine groups on the tip was investigated. We found that the link between the polymer and the gold substrate can withstand a force far beyond the force characteristic for physisorption on gold.