Temperature‐Responsive Surface Coatings Based on Poly(methylsilsesquioxane)‐hybrid Polymers

The present paper presents a new method to build up temperature‐responsive surfaces. First a poly(silsesquioxane)‐block‐poly(N‐isopropyl‐acrylamide) (PMSSQ‐ b ‐PNIPAM) was successfully synthesized using RAFT polymerization. Spin‐coating or dip‐coating of PMSSQ‐ b ‐PNIPAM onto glass surfaces resulted in temperature‐responsive surfaces. Surface ATR FT‐IR measurements proofed the successful surface modification using PMSSQ‐ b ‐PNIPAM. IR fine structures of PNIPAM and PMSSQ could be assigned, respectively. In capillary rise experiments a change of the meniscus height measured at temperatures below or above LCST was observed, indicating a different wetting behavior. Thus, a simple spin‐ or dip‐coating step results in a clean and temperature‐responsive surface.