Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Thermoresponsive Block-Graft Fluoropolymer as Well as Its Tunable Wettability Surface

Thermo-responsive block-graft fluoropolymer is synthesized and investigated the self-assembly morphology and the tunable wettability surface on cotton fabric by dip-coating into the micelles with different temperatures. Well-defined block-graft copolymer is prepared by click chemistry with poly(hexafluorobutyl methacrylate)-block-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PHFBMA-b-PGMA) and homopolymer poly(N-isopropylacrylate) with alkyne on main chain (Alkynyl-PNIPAM) to synthesize final block-graft polymer PHFBMA-b-(PGMA-g-PNIPAM). The thermo-responsive behaviors of block-graft polymer prove that the diameter for fluoropolymer micelle is about 50-70 nm with uniform sphere shape at room temperature and bigger and broader at 40 degrees C. The surface of cotton fabric processed in micelle solution at room temperature is smooth and has good hydrophobic property, while it has the hydrophilic property dipped in high temperature micelle solution. This work may give valuable guidance for fabricating a facile strategy to establish controllable wettability surfaces on different substrates, which is a promising candidate for the coating materials and industrial fields. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.