One-Step Immobilization of Initiators for Surface Initiated Ring Opening Polymerization and Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization by Poly(norepinephrine) Coating

We report a facile method for surface-initiated ring opening polymerization (ROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) via a poly(norepinephrine) coating. Solid substrates were modified by poly(norepinephrine) under alkaline conditions, with concurrent co-adsorption of an ATRP initiator. The poly(norepinephrine) layer acted as a ROP initiator due to the presence of hydroxyl groups in its side chain, resulting in a surface that was able to initiate ATRP and ROP simultaneously. ε-Caprolactone (ε-CL) and 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were grafted onto the surface via ROP and ATRP, respectively, and the polymers subsequently grown from the surfaces were characterized in detail using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle goniometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM).