Surface plasmon microscopy image of 21.5 nm thick polystyrene monolayer generated by photopolymerization; stripe width 22 µm

Schematic depiction of the photopolymerization experiments

Surface Chemistry

Materials interact with their environments through surfaces and interfaces. Therefore many strategies have been developed for the chemical modification of surfaces by deposition of ultrathin organic films. Our work in this area is concerned with the design, modification and control of surface properties of materials of different chemical composition. Special emphasis is placed on the construction of self-assembled monolayers and polymers covalently linked to solid surfaces. The latter can be achieved either by attaching polymers by reactive groups to surfaces or the growth of polymer molecules at the surfaces of substrates in-situ. Of special interest are procedures which do not only allow to tailor the overall composition, but can be used to address certain areas of the substrate and allow a micropatterning e.g. by lithographic techniques.

Our work is focused on the one hand on very fundamental questions such as the structure of polymer chains tethered to a solid surface, the development of new techniques to anchor polymer molecules to solid surfaces and the swelling of surface attached layers. On the other hand we are interested in preparing materials with improved surface properties, which have better tribological properties or corrosion resistance or show enhanced biocompatibility.