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Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene membranes were modified and subsequently polymer coated using the underwater plasma produced by glow discharge electrolysis. This plasma pretreatment generated various O-functional groups among them OH groups have dominated. This modified inner (pore) surface of membranes showed complete wetting and strong adhesion to a hydrogel copolymerized by glow discharge electrolysis also. The deposited hydrogel consists of plasma polymerized acrylic acid crosslinked by copolymerization with the bifunctional N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide). Tuning the hydrogel hydrophilicity and bio-compatibility poly(ethylene glycol) was chemically inserted into the copolymer. Such saturated polymer could only be inserted on a non-classic way by (partial) fragmentation and recombination thus demonstrating the exotic properties of the underwater plasma. The modification of membrane was achieved by squeezing the reactive plasma solution into the pores by plasma-induced shock waves and supported by intense stirring. The deposited copolymer hydrogel has filled all pores also in the inner of membrane as shown by scanning electron microscopy of cross-sections. The copolymer shows the characteristic units of acrylic acid and ethylene glycol as demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy. A minimum loss in carboxylic groups of acrylic acid during the plasma polymerization process was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Additional cell adhesion tests on copolymer coated polyethylene using IEC-6 cells demonstrated the bio-compatibility of the plasma-deposited hydrogel.
Among new types of plasma processes, the underwater plasma is one of the most attractive methods for functionalization of polymer surfaces. The interesting features of plasma solution system are that the material surfaces to be modified remain in contact with the plasma-moderated solution. The role of plasma-moderated liquids, allows the reach of the reactive species through solution onto the geometrically hindered sites. The UV radiation produced in plasma formation helps in generating additional excited, ionized, and dissociated molecules and species in the reaction solution. An interesting feature of the technique is its flexibility to use a wide variety of additives as or in solution system. This allows us to create a selective or monotype functionalization of material surfaces. Such system was studied for the selective hydroxyl functionalization of polypropylene surface. The oxidation of polymer surfaces and the introduction of O-containing functional groups by underwater plasma was found to exceed concentrations typically achieved in oxygen low-pressure gas discharge plasmas up-to two-folds (maximal 56 O/100 C). The fraction of OH groups among all O-containing moieties amounts from 25 to 40% in comparison to that in the gas plasma of about 10% OH groups. Addition of hydrogen peroxide into this same system increases the fraction of C—O bonds up to 75% (27-OH/100 O). A study was focused to optimize the role of hydrogen peroxide on the efficiency of oxidation and selectivity with chemical derivatization with respect to the formation of mono-sort hydroxyl functionalities, calculated using a chemical derivatization technique.
Plasma chemical methods are well suited for introducing functional groups to the surfaces of chemically inert polymers such as polyolefins. However, a broad variety of functional groups are often formed. Unfortunately, for further chemical processing such as grafting of molecules for advanced applications a highly dense monotype functionalized polyolefin surface is needed. Therefore, the main task was to develop a selective surface functionalization process, which formed preferably only a single type of functional groups at the surface in high concentration. Amongst the novel plasma methods, the underwater plasma process (UWP) is one of most attractive options to solve the problem of monotype functionalization. Such plasma is an efficient source of ions, electrons, UV-radiation, high-frequency shock waves, radicals such as hydroxyl radical, and reactive neutral molecules such as hydrogen peroxide. In contrast to established gas phase glow discharge processes, the water phase limits the particle and radiation energies and thus the energy input into the polymer. By virtue of the liquid water environment, which moderates highly energetic plasma species, extensive oxidation, degradation, cross-linking and radical formation on the polymer are more limited as compared to gas plasma exposure. The variety of plasma produced species in the water phase is also much smaller because of the limited reaction possibilities of the plasma with water. The possibility to admix a broad variety of chemical additives makes underwater plasma even more attractive. Hydrogen peroxide and the catalyst (Fe-ZSM5) should influence and increase the equilibrium concentration of OH radicals in the underwater plasma process. It was found that these radicals played a very important role in OH functionalization of polyolefin surfaces. Hydrogen peroxide was identified to be the most prominent precursor for OH group formation in the UWP. The catalyst would affect the steady state of OH radical formation and its reaction with the substrate surface and thus accelerates the functionalization process.
Study of carboxylic functionalization of polypropylene surface using the underwater plasma technique
(2009)
Non-equilibrium solution plasma treatment of polymer surfaces in water offers the possibility of more dense and selective polymer surface functionalization in comparison to the well-known and frequently used low-pressure oxygen plasma. Functional groups are introduced when the polymer surface contacts the plasma moderated solution especially water solutions. The emission of ions, electrons, energy-rich neutrals and complexes, produced by the ion avalanche are limited by quenching, with the aid of the ambient water phase. The UV-radiation produced in plasma formation also helps to moderate the reaction solution further by producing additional excited, ionized/dissociated molecules. Thus, monotype functional groups equipped polymer surfaces, preferably OH groups, originating from the dissociated water molecules, could be produced more selectively. An interesting feature of the technique is its flexibility to use a wide variety of additives in the water phase. Another way to modify polymer surfaces is the deposition of plasma polymers carrying functional groups as carboxylic groups used in this work. Acetic acid, acrylic acid, maleic and itaconic acid were used as additive monomers. Acetic acid is not a chemically polymerizing monomer but it could polymerize by monomer/molecular fragmentation and recombination to a cross linked layer. The other monomers form preferably water-soluble polymers on a chemical way. Only the fragmented fraction of these monomers could form an insoluble coating by cross linking to substrate. The XPS analysis was used to track the alterations in -O-CO- bond percentage on the PP surface. To identify the -COOH groups on substrate surface unambiguously, which have survived the plasma polymerization process, the derivatization with trifluoroethanol was performed.
Underwater plasma and glow discharge electrolysis are interesting new methods for polymer surface functionalization. The achievable content of O-containing functional groups exceeds that of oxygen glow discharge gas plasmas by a factor of two (up to ca. 56 O/100 C). The percentage of OH groups among all O-containing groups can reach 25 to 40%, whereas it is about 10% in the gas plasmas. Addition of hydrogen peroxide increases the fraction of OH groups to at most 70% (27 OH/100 C). The liquid plasma systems are also able to polymerize acrylic acid and deposit the polymer as very thin film on substrate surfaces or membranes, thereby retaining about 80% of all COOH functional groups (27 COOH/100 C).