Solventless surface photoinitiated polymerization: Grafting chemical vapor deposition (gCVD)

Vapor-phase deposition and characterization of covalently bound polymer coatings using type II surface photoinitiation of the monomers (dimethylamino)methyl styrene (DMAMS) and (diethylamino)ethyl acrylate (DEAEA) are reported. Grafting chemical vapor deposition (gCVD), a solventless, low-temperature process, was first used for coating finished nylon fabric with a previously characterized antimicrobial polymer, PDMAMS. The gCVD process was then further explored using the less-UV-sensitive monomer DEAEA for deposition onto spun-cast PMMA thin films. The structure was confirmed with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Durable films up to 54 nm thick retained 94% of their thickness after 10 rounds of ultrasonication. Optimization of conditions allowed for the deposition of soluble films. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) swelling cell measurements gave an estimated graft density range of 0.06-0.25 chains/nm(2).