Direct polymer brush grafting to polymer fibers and films by surface-initiated polymerization

Direct surface modification of polymer fibers and films by surface-initiated polymerization has been investigated. The introduction of initiating sites on polymer materials and their successive polymerization produce surface-tethered polymer chains on the polymer surface. The surface-selective modification controls the surface properties, such as wetting, lubrication and antifouling, without sacrificing bulk performance. Among the various procedures for introduction of initiating groups and subsequent polymerization proposed to date, this focused review article highlights our studies on polymer brush grafting to electrospun polymer fibers and polymer films through surface-initiated polymerization. We review studies focusing on grafting polymer chains to five different types of solid polymers: poly(methyl methacrylate)-based copolymers, Br-containing polyolefins, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), poly(butylene terephthalate), and poly(ether-ether ketone).