In this study, dendronization and grafting via controlled polymerization techniques, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and ring-opening polymerization (ROP), have been explored. Modification of surfaces and cellulose using these techniques, which enable grafting of well-defined polymer architectures, has been investigated. The interest in using cellulose stems from its renewability, biocompatibility, high molecular weight, and versatile functionalization possibilities.

Dendronization was performed using disulfide-cored didendrons of 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA) on gold surfaces, for the formation of self-assembled monolayers. It was found that the height of the monolayer increased with increasing dendron generation and that the end-group functionality controlled the wettability of the modified surface.

Superhydrophobic cellulose surfaces could be obtained when a ‘graft-on-graft’ architecture was obtained using ATRP from filter paper after subsequent post-functionalized using a perfluorinated compound. The low wettability could be explained by a combination of a high surface roughness and the chemical composition.

Biobased dendronized polymers were synthesized through the ‘attach to’ route employing dendronization of soluble cellulose, in the form of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC). The dendronized polymers were studied as nanosized objects using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and it was found that the dendron end-group functionality had a large effect on the molecular conformation on surfaces of spun cast molecules.

ATRP of vinyl monomers was conducted from an initiator-functionalized HPC and an initiator-functionalized first generation dendron, which was attached to HPC. The produced comb polymers showed high molecular weight and their sizes could be estimated via AFM of spun cast molecules on mica and from dynamic light scattering in solution, to around 100-200 nm. The comb polymers formed isoporous membranes, exhibiting pores of a few micrometers, when drop cast from a volatile solvent in a humid environment. HPC was also used to initiate ROP of ε-caprolactone, which was chain extended using ATRP to achieve amphiphilic comb block copolymers. These polymers could be suspended in water, cross-linked and were able to solubilize a hydrophobic compound.