A Novel Synthesis for Tough Polymer Coatings

A new method of preparing tough, chemically-resistant polymer films is presented. Surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerizations (SI-ROMP) were used to grow crosslinked poly(dicyclopentadiene) films on gold coated substrates. Film growth was increased twenty-fold by utilizing vapor-phase monomer, which is believed to grow in a thin solvent film at the metal surface. Thickness and roughness were both found to be dependent on the solvent used during rinse stages, further supporting this hypothesis. These highly crosslinked films exhibit the superior structural characteristics of bulk poly(dicyclopentadiene) according to infrared spectroscopy, forming an excellent protective coating that resists both mechanical scratching and aqueous penetration.