Figure 1. Synthetic route for polymer brushes via the self-assemble-assisted-grafting-to method.

(a) Synthesis of STPBs using mono-functionalized PCL; (b) preparation of PLBs using α, ω-functionalized PCL. Steps 1, 2 and 3 are solution crystallization via a self-seeding method, chemical immobilization of PSCs on a solid substrate and the removal of unbound polymer chains, respectively. The integral number folding structure of polymer chains is illustrated in (i–v), and n=4, 2, 1, 5 and 3 for i–v, respectively. In the process of b, oddly folded chain structure is required for synthesizing PLBs, as shown in (iv) and (v). The dotted line on the substrates represents the outline of polymer brush-grafted regime templated from the hexagonal-shaped PSC, indicating chemical tethering of polymer brushes only takes place at the interface between PSCs and the solid substrate.