Modification of polyethylene using side-chain crystalline block copolymer and evaluation of hydrophilicity

We synthesized side-chain crystalline block copolymer that exhibit an adsorptive interaction with polyethylene (PE) using a monomer with a long alkane side chain and a hydrophilic monomer. By coating PE with a dilute solution of these block copolymers, the PE surface can easily be endowed with hydrophilicity in a uniform manner. This method does not require a special experimental apparatus or reagents and is more viable than conventional methods in terms of energy efficiency and cost, which means it has a lower environmental impact. Based on the measured contact angle on the modified PE surface, we also evaluated the effects of copolymer concentration in the coating solution and the degree of polymerization in the functional region of the copolymer. The results suggest that the hydrophilicity of the PE surface can be controlled by adjusting these parameters.