Process for producing material with hydrophilic surface

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for producing a material having hydrophilic surface which comprises forming a hydrophobic photopolymerizable composition comprising a hydrophobic compound (a) having two or more polymerizable unsaturated double bonds per molecule and a photopolymerization initiator into a desired form and irradiating the resultant shape (b) with actinic rays while keeping the surface of the shape (b) in contact with a hydrophilic liquid (d) containing a hydrophilic compound (c) having one or more polymerizable unsaturated double bonds under such conditions that a photopolymerization reaction is prevented from occurring in the hydrophilic liquid (d) except at the interface between the liquid (d) and the shape (b), whereby the shape (b) is cured and, at the same time, the hydrophobic compound (a) is copolymerized with the hydrophilic compound (c) at the interface between the shape (b) and the hydrophilic liquid (d) to chemically bond molecules of the hydrophilic compound (c) to the surface of the hydrophobic shape (b). The process is advantageous in that the kind and density of hydrophilic groups can be easily controlled and the structure and properties inherent in the material formed from the photopolymerizable composition are not impaired.