Photocatalytic Lithography: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Patterned pH-responsive Polymer Brushes. (2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Panzarasa, Guido; Soliveri, Guido; Ardizzone, Silvia; Sparnacci, Katia
• Is Part Of: Materials today. Volume 2:Number 8(2015)
• Page Start: 4183
• Page End: 4189
• Publication Date: 2015
• Subjects: photocatalytic lithography -- direct photopatterning -- polymer brushes -- titanium dioxide -- atom transfer radical polymerization -- PDMAEMA -- pH-responsive brushes; Materials science -- Congresses -- Periodicals; 620.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2015.09.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2214-7853

Abstract

Abstract: Patterned polymer brushes are the ideal tools to give stimuli-responsive behavior to surfaces. In the present work, patterned poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) brushes were obtained on a titanium dioxide thin film by exploiting the high oxidative photoactivity of the latter. Initiators suitable for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) were grafted directly on titania, patterned by exposition to 365 nm near-UV light through a photomask and amplified into pH-responsive PDMAEMA brushes with micrometer resolution. This approach, called "photocatalytic lithography", allowed high resolution patterning even on a wafer scale, without the need of photoresist or high-intensity UV sources, making it a powerful tool for microfabrication.