Galvanic-Replacement-Assisted Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization for Functional Polymer Brush Engineering

Here we present a facile and robust strategy, namely, galvanic-replacement-assisted surface-initiated Cu(0)-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (gr-SI-Cu(0)ATRP, or gr-SI-(CuCRP)-C-0) for polymer brush engineering under ambient conditions. In gr-SI-Cu(0)ATRP, highly active and nanostructured Cu(0) surfaces are obtained by a simple galvanic replacement on zinc/aluminum surfaces in dilute Cu2+ solution. Polymer brush growth rate is extremely high (up to similar to 904 nm in 30 min polymerization); meanwhile, both nano Cu(0) surfaces and Cu2+ solution can be reused multiple times without losing grafting efficiency. We also demonstrate that the gr-SI-Cu(0)ATRP is advantageous for polymer brush engineering on arbitrary substrates, including flexible (polyethylene terephthalate), curved (polycarbonate), and porous (anodic aluminum oxide), and endow the substrates with various functionalities, for example, anti-icing, antifogging, and ion selectivity.