RESERVE THIS SPACE Manipulating Siloxane Surfaces: Obtaining the Desired Surface Function via Engineering Design Julie A. Crowe, Kirill Efimenko, and Jan Genzer* Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 *Email:
[email protected] Abstract We present a synopsis of recent accomplishment in our group in the area of surface-functionalized silicone elastomer networks. Specifically, we show that by combining mechanical manipulation of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) networks with activation via ultraviolet/ozone (UVO) treatment and subsequent chemical modification of the pre- activated surfaces, one can generate so-called mechanically assembled monolayers (MAMs). This technology can be successfully applied to create a variety of surfaces, including dense polymer brushes, long-lived superhydrophobic surfaces, molecular gradients comprising tunable length scales and two- dimensional chemical gradients. In addition, the UVO modification of mechanically strained PDMS sheets provides a convenient route for creating “buckled” elastomeric sheets. These surfaces have a multitude of applications; ranging from anti-fouling surfaces to directed particle assembly. Finally we demonstrate control of surface wettability and responsiveness using poly(vinylmethylsiloxane) (PVMS) networks. We have shown that PVMS surfaces can be chemically tailored by reacting with thiols. The degree of response (including response rate) of such surfaces to hydrophobic-hydrophilic interactions can be adjusted by varying the chemical and structural properties of the side-group modifiers. Introduction Commercial interest in siloxane elastomers has lasted for over 50 years. The most-widely used material in this category is poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) (R = -CH3 in Figure 1). The high flexibility of the Si-O bond, the greater Si-O-Si bond angle and length relative to the C-C-C bond, and low energy barriers to rotation, contribute to very low glass transition temperature of PDMS (Tg ≈150 K).