Advances in surface confined C–H bonds photo-transformation of organic polymer materials

Organic polymer materials generally exhibit low surface energy and inert surface reactivity, which limits their applications in high-tech fields such as optics, electronics, separation and biomedical materials. Surface modification is an important way to improve the performance of organic polymer materials, and the crucial scientific issue involved is the activation/transformation chemistry of surface C–H bonds. Photochemical reaction has the characteristics including high efficiency and chemical selectivity, environmental friendliness, low reaction temperature and precise temporal/spatial control, which is superior in surface modification of organic polymer materials. Based on the recent progress in our lab, in this review we summarize some strategies of confined photo-transformation of C–H bonds on the surface of organic polymer materials. The mechanism of these reactions and their applications in the growth/immobilization of inorganic oxide, conductive materials and biomolecule are systematically introduced. The future development of this field is also prospected.