Nanocomposites and nanomaterials
Polymer coatings & brushes: electro-physical study and application
O. Izhyk1, O. Balaban1, N. Mitina2, A. Zaichenko2
1Department of Applied Physics and Nanomaterials Science, Institute of Applied Mathematics and Fundamental Science, Lviv Polytechnic National University, St. Bandery st., 12, Lviv – 79013, Ukraine.
E-mail: oksana.v.balaban@lpnu.ua
2Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, Lviv Polytechnic National University, St. Bandery st., 12, Lviv – 79013, Ukraine.

Prospects for the use of polymeric materials are becoming increasingly evident. The natural reserves of substances are depleted every day, and the resource base for many applications is running out. That is why polymeric materials occupy vacated niches in various fields of application. Polymeric materials are popular due to the availability of synthesis, reproducibility of results, economy, and environmental friendliness. Recently, the production of coatings based on thin polymer films, which serve as a kind of barrier or protection from external influences, and the cultivation of polymer brushes on various surfaces have become popular. The last of them is developing more and more every day because it is variable. In particular, it is possible to control the thickness of the brush layer, its density, the purposeful inclusion of various nanoparticle impurities in the structure of the brushes, or grafting other brushes. All these features make brush polymer coatings widely functional and multifaceted in use. Special attention is paid to the performance of polymers in energy storage, conservation, and conversion devices. After all, as is well known, the requirements for the effective operation of these devices are expanding every day, but achieving the desired characteristics is becoming increasingly difficult. Many achievements have already been made along the way, as many works are dedicated to expanding the base of cathode materials for these devices. It is proposed to replace natural materials with artificial, and expensive materials with cheap, sometimes not even environmentally friendly ones. However, the desired result has not been obtained, so another way to solve this problem is to use functional polymer films that are stable in different conditions.
This paper presents a study of the accumulative properties of polymer brushes and suggests ways to use the synthesized materials.