Simultaneous Spin Coating and Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization for the Rapid Synthesis of Polymer Films.

We report a highly controlled technique for the synthesis of polymer films atop a substrate by combining spin coating with ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), herein termed spin coating ROMP (scROMP). The scROMP approach combines polymer synthesis and deposition into one process, fabricating films of up to 36 cm in under 3 min with orders-of-magnitude reduction in solvent usage. This method can convert numerous norbornene-type molecules into homopolymers and random copolymers as uniform films on both porous and nonporous substrates.

Photoactive and conductive biohybrid films by polymerization of pyrrole through voids in photosystem I multilayer films.

The combination of conducting polymers with electro- and photoactive proteins into thin films holds promise for advanced energy conversion materials and devices. The emerging field of protein electronics requires conductive soft materials in a composite with electrically insulating proteins. The electropolymerization of pyrrole through voids in a drop-casted photosystem I (PSI) multilayer film enables the straightforward fabrication of photoactive and conductive biohybrid films.