Growth of polymer brushes by atom transfer radical polymerization on glassy carbon modified by electro-grafted initiators based on aryl diazonium salts

Poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, and polyglycidol brushes (PMMA, PS and PGL, respectively) were grown on glassy carbon (GC) plates that were modified by the electrochemical reduction of the diazonium salt BF4-, N-+(2)-C6H4-CH(CH3)-Br. The grafted -C6H4-CH(CH3)-Br species were effective in surface-initiating atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of the vinyl monomers. The structure of the polymer brushes was characterized by XPS. Static contact angles of water drops on PS, PGL and PMMA brushes were 89.5 +/- 2.0, 75.1 +/- 7.0 and 83.5 +/- 1.4 degrees, respectively. The polymer brushes were further evaluated as adsorbents of human serum albumin (HSA). Protein adsorption decreased in the order PS > PGL similar to PMMA. This highlights the resistance of PGL to protein adsorption. Copyright (C) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.