Plasma Polymer Films

Plasma Polymer Films examines the current status of the deposition and characterization of fluorocarbon-, hydrocarbon- and silicon-containing plasma polymer films and nanocomposites, with plasma polymer matrix. It introduces plasma polymerization process diagnostics such as optical emission spectroscopy (OES, AOES), and describes special deposition techniques such as atmospheric pressure glow discharge. Important issues for applications such as degradation and stability are treated in detail, and structural characterization, basic electrical and optical properties and biomedical applications are discussed.

Annotation. Plasma Polymer Films examines the current status of the deposition and characterization of fluorocarbon-, hydrocarbon- and silicon-containing plasma polymer films and nanocomposites, with plasma polymer matrix. It introduces plasma polymerization process diagnostics such as optical emission spectroscopy (OES, AOES), and describes special deposition techniques such as atmospheric pressure glow discharge. Important issues for applications such as degradation and stability are treated in detail, and structural characterization, basic electrical and optical properties and biomedical applications are discussed.

Plasma Polymerization aims to bridge the conceptual gap between the academic and practical approaches to plasma polymerization and highlights the significance of plasma polymerization in materials science and technology. The major topics covered are gas-phase kinetics, ionization of gases, fundamentals of polymerization, mechanism of polymer formation in plasma, competitive aspects of polymer formation and ablation, mechanism of polymer deposition, operational factors of plasma polymerization, and electrical properties of plasma polymers. This book is comprised of 11 chapters and begins with a brief overview of plasma polymerization and its growing importance for the formation of entirely new kinds of materials. The discussion then shifts to a comparison between plasma-state polymerization and plasma-induced polymerization, between plasma polymerization and graft polymerization, and between plasma polymerization and radiation polymerization. The reader is also introduced to fundamental aspects of gas-phase reactions, paying particular attention to the classical kinetic theory of gas, as well as the mechanisms of formation of polymeric materials in plasma, competitive ablation and polymer formation in plasma, and polymer deposition in plasma polymerization. The operational parameters of plasma polymerization are described and a chapter devoted to the electrical properties of plasma-polymerized thin organic films concludes the book. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of material science.

Plasma Deposition, Treatment, and Etching of Polymers takes a broad look at the basic principles, the chemical processes, and the diagnostic procedures in the interaction of plasmas with polymer surfaces. This recent technology has yielded a large class of new materials offering many applications, including their use as coatings for chemical fibers and films. Additional applications include uses for the passivation of metals, the surface hardening of tools, increased biocompatibility of biomedical materials, chemical and physical sensors, and a variety of micro- and optoelectronic devices. Appeals to a broad range of industries from microelectronics to space technology Discusses a wide array of new uses for plasma polymers Provides a tutorial introduction to the field Surveys various classes of plasma polymers, their chemical and morphological properties, effects of plasma process parameters on the growth and structure of these synthetic materials, and techniques for characterization Interests scientists, engineers, and students alike

To date, no comprehensive study of the adhesion of plasma-polymerized films on plastics has been made. In the present work, 1400-Å films produced by the radio frequency discharge plasma polymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile were deposited on polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, poly(ethyleneterephthalate) (Mylar), polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), polycarbonate (Lexan), polyimide (Kapton), poly(methyl methacrylate) (Lucite), polyamide (Nylon 6), poly(oxymethylene) (Delrin), and poly(vinyl fluoride) (Tedlar) substrates. Adherence of these films was then measured by applying a 1⁄2 by 2 in. (1.27 by 5 cm) piece of Scotch No. 810 tape to the film and then removing the tape in a 90-deg peel. This provides a lower limit of 190 g/in. for the adhesion of the polymer film to the substrate. It was found that both plasma polystyrene and plasma polyacrylonitrile were removed by this procedure from poly(oxymethylene), polypropylene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and polycarbonate. Both films remained adhered to the other seven plastics during this test. These results can be explained on the basis of molecular structure and can be correlated with literature data on bond strength results for activated gas-treated substrates. It was also concluded, considering the divergent properties of the two plasma polymers, that adhesion to any substrate is not dependent on the structure of the plasma polymer. Soaking films of plasma-deposited polyacrylonitrile on Mylar in solvents of varying polarity for long periods of time did not reduce the adhesion of the film to the substrate. It would seem that the film-substrate bond is either a physical one of a very high order or more likely a true chemical bond.

Functional plasma polymer films have gained increasing attention in recent decades to selectively modify the surface of biomaterials. Although many applications have been identified for plasma polymerisation, the fundamental aspects of plasma polymer film growth are still poorly understood. In this thesis, both the film growth mechanism and applications of the coatings to control cell and microbe attachment in vitro were investigated. The main part of the thesis focused on fabrication of diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme, DG) plasma polymer films via radio frequency glow discharge (RFGD) plasma polymerisation. By manipulation of process parameters, diglyme plasma polymer films (DGpp) could perform as low-fouling coatings that was similar to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafted layers. Systematic study on the effect of load powers to DGpp film chemistry was carried out. The surface chemistry of the synthesised films was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. It was found that higher load power led to more fragmentation of the monomer, therefore less retention of ether functionality. The resultant films were used for protein adsorption, cell culture and microbe attachment studies in vitro. Films produced with high ether concentration generally were resistant to fouling, meanwhile, relatively low ether concentration allowed a higher quantity of protein adsorption, cell and microbe attachment. The DGpp films were very smooth in nature. They have been deposited onto amyloid fibril networks (AFNs) that have roughness greater than the film per se. The change in roughness resulted in differences in amount of cell attachment and spreading. The unique structure of the AFNs was still visible under atomic force microscopy (AFM) after DGpp deposition, thus a study to decipher the mechanism of film growth was conducted. During the deposition of the films, various substrates, such as silicon wafers, glass and polymers, were used to test the adhesion strength of DGpp films. On silicon wafers, the films were stable in atmospheric conditions but became patchy after immersion in water or cell culture solutions for prolonged times. In addition, it was found DGpp films were most stable on polymeric substrates but were easily delaminated from indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass. The low adhesion strength on ITO glass was exploited further in this thesis to expose the substrate-film interface by peeling off the film using double-sided tape. This simple method allowed investigation of the chemistry of the DGpp films growth at the initial stage. Adhesion of plasma polymer film to the substrate depends on the interaction of gas phase species in the plasmas with the top surface of the material. In order to gain a better understanding of the interface mixing between plasma polymer films and polymeric substrates, DGpp films were deposited (under the same conditions) onto six types of plasma polymer films. Non-invasive methods, neutron and X-ray reflectometry (NR, XRR) were employed to characterise these bilayer constructs and showed changes in interfacial width depending on the base plasma polymer layer. Since the DGpp film was not very efficient in antimicrobial application for the long term, a new plasma polymer based route was selected to combat the infection problem of biomaterial surfaces. A brominated coating was produced using RFGD plasma polymerisation and modified with sodium azide to incorporate azide functionality onto the surface. The resultant coatings were tested in vitro against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Excellent antimicrobial property was presented on azide immoblised surfaces. On the other hand, those coatings are compatible with HeLa cell culture and induced minimal lysis of human erythrocytes.

Plasma polymerized layers are important for many different industrial applications and technologies. This includes also high tech applications in sensor technologies and life science where functionalized surfaces are required. The problem is up to now the mechanism of plasma polymerization is poorly understood. The relationship of polymerization to fragmentation and polyrecombination reactions is not known as well as the contribution of these reactions to the formation of the polymer layer is not clear. This book focus on the investigation of the surface functionalization and volume properties of thin plasma deposited films by a combination of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, XPS, DSC and FTIR. The properties of the films were studied in dependence on the duty cycle. The results were quantitatively analyzed and correlated to each other in detail.

A guide to modifying and functionalizing the surfaces of polymers Surface Modification of Polymers is an essential guide to the myriad methods that can be employed to modify and functionalize the surfaces of polymers. The functionalization of polymer surfaces is often required for applications in sensors, membranes, medicinal devices, and others. The contributors?noted experts on the topic?describe the polymer surface in detail and discuss the internal and external factors that influence surface properties. This comprehensive guide to the most important methods for the introduction of new functionalities is an authoritative resource for everyone working in the field. This book explores many applications, including the plasma polymerization technique, organic surface functionalization by initiated chemical vapor deposition, photoinduced functionalization on polymer surfaces, functionalization of polymers by hydrolysis, aminolysis, reduction, oxidation, surface modification of nanoparticles, and many more. Inside, readers will find information on various applications in the biomedical field, food science, and membrane science. This important book: -Offers a range of polymer functionalization methods for biomedical applications, water filtration membranes, and food science -Contains discussions of the key surface modification methods, including plasma and chemical techniques, as well as applications for nanotechnology, environmental filtration, food science, and biomedicine -Includes contributions from a team of international renowned experts Written for polymer chemists, materials scientists, plasma physicists, analytical chemists, surface physicists, and surface chemists, Surface Modification of Polymers offers a comprehensive and application-oriented review of the important functionalization methods with a special focus on biomedical applications, membrane science, and food science.

This book presents an overview of nanostructure determination and ways to find relationships to the electronic and optical properties. The methods described can be applied to a large number of other granular metal-insulator systems and used as a guideline for characterisation and modelling. In addition, the book describes the manufacture of artificially structured nanomaterials using laser or electron-beam irradiation.