Functionality of Nanopatterned Polymer Surfaces

Abstract

The different methods of the nanopatterning of polymer layers, UV laser ablation, plasma depositing technique, electrochemical deposition and soft lithography are discussed as methods of surface patterning. The different surface functionalities are described, especially the effects of increased surface hydrophobicity/superhydrophobicity created by coating substrates with low surface energy material coupled with controlling the polymer surface roughness at both micro- and nano-scale, with many of these hydrophobic layers representing bio-inspired surfaces. Cell adhesion onto nanopatterned polymer surfaces, bacteria and biomolecules immobilization, and cancer cell isolation are discussed as switchable functionalities. A new field is self-assembled monolayers formed from polymers, which can modulate a surface functionality from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity, forming highly ordered molecular structures to bind different biomolecules and to create stimuli-responsive polymer systems. These polymers have the potential to tune surface wettability to a desired level with a controlled surface structure and smoothness. Examples are described of rotaxenes which are polymeric self-assembled monolayers which can form molecular devices/nanodevices.