Patent ID: 6946164

Claim:
A process for growing a polyethylene glycol alkyl acrylate polymer film gradient on a substrate having a moiety accepting surface comprising the step of: (a) contacting at least one initiator molecule with the moiety accepting surface of a substrate to form an initiator coated substrate, said initiator molecule comprising at least one of i) wherein: n is an integer of 1 to 50; R 1 and R 4 are each independently a CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , or an alkyl of 3 to 20 carbons; R 2 and R 3 are each independently a CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , OR 1 , or an alkyl of 3to 20 carbons; and R 5 is a H, CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , or an alkyl of 3 to 20 carbons, ii) wherein: n is an integer of 1 to 50; R 6 and R 7 are each independently Cl, CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , or an alkyl of 3 to 20 carbons; R 8 is a CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , or an alkyl of 3 to 20 carbons; and R 9 is a H, CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , or an alkyl of 3 to 20 carbons, and iii) mixtures thereof; (b) adding a first and second layer of liquid to a coating container, said first and second layer of liquid being added as separate discreet additions to said container; wherein said first liquid layer comprises polyethylene glycol alkyl acrylate monomers in solution and said second liquid layer comprises a liquid having a different polyethylene glycol alkyl acrylate monomer concentration than said first liquid layer; wherein said polyethylene glycol alkyl acrylate monomer has the general formula wherein: n is an integer of 1 to 100; and R 10 and R 11 are each independently H, CH3, C 2 H 5 , or an alkyl of 1 to 20 carbons; and wherein at least one catalyst and optionally at least one ligand are added to the first liquid layer comprising the polyethylene glycol alkyl acrylate monomer; (c) inserting the initiator-coated substrate of step (a) into the coating container; and (d) allowing a sufficient amount of time for diffusion of the polyethylene glycol alkyl acrylate monomer to occur between said first and second liquid layers, wherein a polyethylene glycol alkyl acrylate gradient is grown on the surface of the initiator-coated substrate.