Ultrathin polymer films are of great interest and utility for their tremendous technological importance in adhesion, chemical sensors, molecular electronics, optical surfaces, and tissue engineering.
Many efforts have been focused on the fabrication of uniform, ultrathin polymer films of solid substrates using non-covalent methods such as spin coating, dip coating, spray coating, and vapor phase polymerization, and covalent methods for chemical bond formation between the substrate and the polymer films. Covalent attachment is preferred for stability and protection against solvents and other environmental factors. The many protocols for chemical immobilization of polymer films on substrates require chemical derivatization of the substrates and extensive functionalization of the polymers.
PSU researchers have developed a remarkably simple method that allows the immobilization of thin films on solid substrates. The method has several advantages;
- Only involves coating and photolysis, does NOT require chemical synthesis or derivatization of polymers
- Resulting polymer films strongly attach to substrate, surviving extensive washing or shaking in solvents at high temperatures
- Thickness of polymer films easily adjusted
- Microstructures of polymer films can be fabricated via photolithography
The ability to fabricate polymer thin films on substrates in a spatially defined fashion is of great technological importance in the application of sensor arrays and chip-based functional devices.