Thermo-responsive polymer brushes with tunable collapse temperatures in the physiological range

A study was conducted to show that finely tunable temperature-responsive surfaces can be obtained by growing P(MEO2-MA-co-OEGMA) brushes, by surface-initiated ATRP. It was also demonstrated the way equilibrium contact angle measurements allow to obtain thermodynamically relevant collapse transition temperature. The temperature responsiveness of the brushes was assessed by water contact angle measurements in the captive bubble configuration. An air bubble was trapped below the tested surface that was immersed face down in water. It was also observed that the strongly hydrophilic brush can attain equilibrium.