Surface Modification of Silicate Glass Using 3-(Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane for Thiol–Ene Polymerization

A thiol-ene polymerization was accomplished on silicate glass slides to graft a series of homopolymers and copolymers using 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MTS) as both a silane coupling agent and initiator. MTS was initially covalently bonded to an acid cleaned glass surface via a classical sol-gel reaction. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(acrylamide) (PAAm), poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA), poly(acrylamido-2-methyl-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS), and the copolymer poly(AA-co-AAm-co-MA-co-AMPS) were grafted from the thiol group of MTS. The surface chemistry of the MTS modified slides and polymer grafts was characterized with attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Surface texture was evaluated with tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM). The Owens-Wendt-Kaelble (OWK) and Lifshitz-van der Waals acid-base (LW-AB) methods were used to evaluate surface energies by sessile drop contact angle method. The synthetic approach demonstrated a facile, rapid method for grafting to glass surfaces.