Fabrication of fluorinated polymer nanosheets using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique: characterization of their surface properties and applications

This review describes the bottom-up design of ultra-thin fluorinated polymer films. Fluorinated polymer assemblies offer unique and application-oriented properties strongly correlated with surface chemistry. We focus on our recent topic of research, fluorinated polymer nanosheets, which are ultra-thin polymer films fabricated from amphiphilic fluorinated polyalkylacrylamides using the elegant Langmuir-Blodgett technique. These fluorinated polymer nanosheets have excellent hydrophobicity, extremely low surface energy and a low friction coefficient. Therefore, fluorinated polymer nanosheets are attractive nanomaterials for surface modification in terms of tailoring of wettability, frictional properties, adhesion and surface chemistry. The nanocoating technique using reactive fluorinated polymer nanosheets and surface modification of hard disks and microchannels are also reviewed. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry