Activation of solid polymer surfaces with bifunctional reagents

An original procedure is described which calls upon the heterogeneous graft ing of bifunctional molecules onto a reactive polymeric surface, leaving on e of the functions available for further exploitation. The principle of thi s strategy is to use reagents characterised by a rigid planar structure bea ring the two active moieties at opposite sites of the molecule. The example s provided include the reactions of lignocellulosic fibres with 1,4-phenyl diisocyanate and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic anhydride, which give rise to their surface activation through the incorporation of covalently bound i socyanate or anhydride functions. (C) 2001 Society of Chemical Industry.