A guide to functionalisation and bioconjugation strategies to surface-initiated polymer brushes.

Since the first introduction of their concept in the 1980s and 90s, polymer brushes have been the focus of intense research efforts to identify novel physico-chemical properties and responsiveness, and optimise the properties of associated interfaces for an ever growing range of applications. To a large extent, this effort has been enabled by progress in surface initiated controlled polymerisation techniques, allowing a huge diversity of monomers and macromolecular architectures to be harnessed and achieved. However, polymer functionalisation through chemical coupling of various moieties and molecular structures has also played an important role in expanding the molecular design toolbox of the field of polymer brush science.