Fabrication and Thermoresponsive Properties of Thin Copolymer Films of N-Isopropylacrylamide and Acrylamide.

A new technique is proposed for obtaining thin films of a cross-copolymer of poly-N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylamide on glass and silicon surfaces. The technique is based on polymerization of individual monomers followed by the crosslinking of polymer chains during spin-coating onto a substrate. The effect of temperature on the hydrophobicity of the obtained films is studied. Reversible changes in the contact angle are demonstrated when the substrate temperature is varied above and below 35°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]