Abstract: The invention features a method of creating a polymer brush bearing covalently bound polymeric side chains, comprising the steps of: (a) deposition, onto a substrate, of a halogen containing initiator film or a precursor which is derivatized into a halogen containing initiator film; (b) surface ATRP growth, from the halogen containing initiator film formed in step (a), of a polymeric brush backbone incorporating side groups; (c) growth, from the polymeric brush backbone formed in step (b), of polymeric side chains on the polymeric brush backbone, to form a polymer brush in which the polymeric side chains constitute the bristles of the brush.

Abstract: A delivery system for an active substance, comprising a substrate on which the substance is loaded for subsequent release, wherein: (i) the substrate has been at least partially coated with a polymer using plasma deposition (preferably pulsed plasma deposition); (ii) the active substance is present as a guest molecule within a cyclodextrin inclusion complex; and (iii) the inclusion complex is bound to the polymer through a chemical linkage formed between a hydroxyl group on the cyclodextrin and a functional group on the polymer. The system may be used to control the release of an active substance such as a perfume. Also provided are methods for preparing (a) the delivery system and (b) a functionalised substrate for use as part of the system, in which the polymer is suitably reacted with a cyclodextrin using an S N 2 nucleophilic substitution reaction, in particular a Williamson ether synthesis reaction.

Abstract: A method for producing a porous polymer structure involves (i) forming a polymer; (ii) subsequently contacting the polymer with a nonsolvent and inducing the formation of an emulsion in which the nonsolvent is present as the dispersed phase and the polymer as the continuous phase; and (iii) removing at least some of the nonsolvent so as to leave pores within the polymer, wherein the polymer is formed by exciting one or more molecules in an exciting medium, in particular by pulsed plasma deposition. Emulsion formation in step (ii) may be induced by or in the presence of an emulsion stabilising agent. Also provided is a porous polymer structure produced using the method, and a polymer which is impregnated with an emulsion stabilising agent, for use in the emulsion formation step of the method.