Surface Modification and Dyeing of Ultrahigh-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Fabrics Using Diazirine-Based Polymers

Ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers are valued for their high strength-to-weight ratio and are employed in a wide variety of commercial applications. However, because of its low surface energy, UHMWPE can fail in certain applications such as fiber-reinforced composites. This is due to its poor interfacial adhesion with polar matrices, making it challenging to incorporate into composites or retain polar dyes or colorants. Herein, we describe the use of polyamine primers for coating UHMWPE weaves, covalently bonding the aliphatic chains through C–H insertion, leading to strong covalent interactions between the fabric and polyamines. We further demonstrate that the polyamine-coated UHMWPE surfaces can successfully react with epoxy resin through nucleophilic addition reactions to enable the production of epoxy composites. Furthermore, we show the use of polyamine-coated UHMWPE in secondary functionalization with amine-reactive compounds, such as dyes, through covalent linkages that result in very strong color fastness.