Silane Mixtures

A method of preparing an array of polymers comprising:

• providing a substrate including a silica surface or other silicon oxide-containing surface thereon;
• contacting the silica or other silicon oxide-containing surface of the substrate with a silanation composition comprising a mixture of a first compound and a second compound, and wherein the first and second compounds covalently attach to the silica surface to form a silanation coating;
• the first compound comprising a trialkoxy silyl group and wherein the first compound further includes a reactive functional group capable of supporting polymer synthesis selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino and carboxyl, and wherein the polymers of the array are attached to the silanation coating via the active functional group of the first compound;
• the first compound being selected from the group consisting of N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl)-4-hydroxybutyramide;
• N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane;
• 3-((2-hydroxyethyl)methylamino)propyl-trimethoxysilane, N-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-N,N-bis(trimethoxysilylpropyl)-amine;
• 1,2-bis((2-hydroxyethyl)-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)aminoethane;
• 3-acetoxy-propyltrimethoxysilane;
• (trimethoxysilyloxy)-(C3-C12-alkyl)-(triethoxysilane);
• and 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane;
• and
• the second compound comprising a trialkoxy silyl group and wherein the second compound does not include a reactive functional group of the first compound;
• the second compound being selected from the group consisting of 1,2-bis(trimethoxysilyl)-ethane;
• 1,3-bis(trimethoxysilyl)propane;
• 1,6-bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexane;
• 3-(N,N-dimethyl-amino)-propyl-trimethoxysilane;
• and N,N-bis(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)methylamine;
• wherein the molar ratio of the first compound to the second compound ranges from about 1 to 50 to 1 to 500;
• and wherein the mixture of the first and second compounds in the silanation coating imparts increased hydrolytic stability to the coating;
• protecting the functional group capable of supporting polymer synthesis with a protecting group or reacting the functional group capable of supporting polymer synthesis with a compound having a reactive group protected by a protecting group;
• removing the protecting group in selected regions of the surface to provide an exposed functional or reactive group;
• reacting said exposed group with a monomer, wherein the monomer is coupled to the exposed group;
• and
• repeating the steps of removing and reacting to produce the array of polymers.