| abstract |
Provided are methods for modifying polymer, inorganic or organic functionalized substrate surfaces. In one embodiment, an atmospheric pressure (AP) plasma stream is applied to the substrate surface to form a surface binding active point that functions as a polymer initiator. When contacted with a monomer or monomer solution, the active point facilitates the formation of a dense array of graft polymers covalently bonded to the substrate surface. In another embodiment, the inorganic substrate is cleaned, conditioned in a wet chamber, treated with an AP plasma, and contacted with a monomer or monomer solution to facilitate the formation and growth of graft polymers on the substrate surface.n n n n Graft polymerization, atmospheric plasma, ethylenically unsaturated monomers, TEMPO, free radical polymerization |