Thermal effect of carbamates based polymer on the TiO2 growth

We investigated the growth of TiO₂ on poly((tetrahydropyran‐2‐yl N‐(2‐methacryloxyethyl) carbamate)‐co‐(methyl 4‐(3‐methacryloyloxypropoxy) cinnamate) (THP‐polymer) using thermal heating, octyl isocyanate (OIC), and glutaraldehyde. It is found that TiO₂ can be grown on surfaces terminated with ? NH₂ and ? O? groups from aqueous solution. However, TiO₂ did not deposit on ? CH₃ terminated surfaces, due to the low surface energy of these surfaces. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis data showed that the ? THP functional group can be removed and the surface functional group converted to ? NH₂ by heating the material over 180°C. OIC can then be immobilized on the surface after heating, changing the surface functional group from ? NH₂ to ? CH₃. As TiO₂ can be deposited from solution on ? NH₂ terminated, but not ? CH₃ terminated surfaces, THP‐polymer can be used to switch the surface properties by thermal activation and subsequent reaction with OIC. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011