Stepwise stereocomplex assembly of stereoregular poly(methyl methacrylate)s on a substrate

Isotactic (it-) and syndiotactic (st-) poly(methyl methacrylate)s (PMMAs) were synthesized by anionic polymerization in toluene at -78 degrees C with t-C4H9MgBr and t-C4H9Li/(C2H5)3Al, respectively, as initiators. Polymers were assembled by the stepwise immersion of a 9-MHz quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) as a substrate into organic solutions at ambient temperature. Quantitative QCM analysis revealed that acetonitrile was the best solvent for assembly on the substrate compared to acetone and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The analysis also showed linear growth of the assembly except during the initial two steps (possibly due to direct influence of the gold QCM substrate), indicating that the amount of assembly can be easily regulated at each step. A 5 min immersion of the QCM into each PMMA solution was enough to obtain stepwise assembly. The ratios of st-/it-PMMA assembled, the static contact angle of the assembly at each step, and its reflection absorption spectrum (RAS) strongly implied the stepwise formation of a stereocomplex between it- and st-PMMAs in the assembly. The amount of stereocomplex assembled was significantly affected by the addition of water to the organic solutions, the PMMA concentration, and its molecular weight, as well as the solvent species. Atomic force microscopic (AFM) examination of the assembly revealed a smooth surface. The assembly was formed at the step from the physically adsorbed it-PMMA to st-PMMA. A possible assembling mechanism was also proposed.