Abstract: A process for the surface functionalisation of a polymeric substrate, which process comprises: (a) contacting the substrate with a diarylcarbene precursor, (b) generating a carbene reactive intermediate from the diarylcarbene precursor so that it reacts with the substrate to functionalise the surface, and (c) further functionalising the activated substrate obtained in step (b).

Abstract: An alternative technique whereby highly reactive carbene or nitrene species are generated from inert precursors under less harsh photolytic, and sometimes thermolytic, conditions has also been investigated for application to dyeing and other surface modifying processes of various natural and synthetic polymers. The chemistry of cargenes and nitrenes is well documented, and these reactive entities are known to form covalent bonds with many types of functional group groups. The application of these species to the surface modification or organic solids using different approaches both for the generation of the required carbenes or nitrenes, and for their reaction with the solid surface has been reported. Interestingly, although nitrenes (often generated from an azide or sulfonylazide precursor under photolytic or thermolytic conditions) are more stable, and therefore less reactive, than their carbene analogues, they have used much more widely for the dyeing of polymeric substrates.

Abstract: A process for the surface functionalization of a polymeric substrate, which process comprises: a) contacting the substrate with a diarylcarbene precursor, b) generating a carbene reactive intermediate from the diarylcarbene precursor so that it reacts with the substrate to functionalize the surface, and c) further functionalizing the activated substrate obtained in step (b).