Developments and new applications of UV-induced surface graft polymerizations

As one of the major techniques developed to achieve surface modification of polymeric materials, UV-induced surface graft polymerization has been widely applied as a simple, useful and versatile approach to improve the surface properties of polymers. This review surveys the recent advances in UV light induced surface graft polymerizations, predominantly focusing on: (1) various initiating methods, controlled/living grafting, self-initiated grafting (grafting without the addition of photoinitiators), graft polymerizations with monomer pairs able to form charge transfer (CT) complexes, grafting in liquid, vapor and bulk phase, and the substrates used for grafting; (2) the topography of grafted surface layers, including granular structure, crosslinked structure, and well-defined structure; and (3) the application of techniques to prepare functionalized polymer surfaces with designed performances, e.g., to obtain polymer materials suitable for biomedical applications, membranes or microfluidics.