Electrochemical Switching of Functional Polymer Brushes and Coronas (“E-Brush”)

• Applicants: Alexander Muench, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Felix Plamper; Privatdozentin Petra Uhlmann, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 543627338

This project aims to apply electrode potential differences as a novel switching trigger for binary brushes made of polymers with opposing switching behavior. Electrochemistry is used here as a stimulus that acts rapidly at the polymer-decorated electrode and influences the state of the film and hence the surface characteristics. The impact of film architecture is investigated using novel polymer brushes prepared via the grafting-to approach and films of adsorbed micelles. In these structures, different polymers are combined whose conformations react “antagonistically” towards the applied potential differences. This change in mutually-opposed stretching/collapse of the different polymers is induced by an opposing interaction pattern between the different polymers and the same electroactive complexing reagent, which varies its oxidation state upon polarization of the electrode. Hence, a certain polymer can be exposed toward the bulk solution, while the other one is retracted (and vice versa). The profound understanding of this new switching principle will be in the focus of the investigation and will create generalizable knowledge, which will be the starting point for novel applications. A switchable enzyme catalysis shall be used to demonstrate the potential of the developed concept for the first time.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants