PHOTOMODIFICATION OF SURFACES USING HETEROCYCLIC AZIDES

A novel route for the photomodification of surfaces using heterocyclic azides has been discovered. Photoactivation of heterocyclic azides, to generate highly reactive nitrenes, has been demonstrated to be very effective for the photochemical modification of a wide range of surfaces (from glass, polyethylene, polyimide, polyester, tin oxide, silicon to aluminum). The basic idea is to introduce organic functional groups onto the surface via reaction of highly reactive intermediates. For example, 3-azidoyridine, when photoactivated, reacts with and adds pyridine-type organic functional groups onto the surface. A model for surface modification is proposed. The modified surfaces have been characterized by ellipsometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.