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Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (9)
Introduction of irregularieties into plasma polymers by radiative and autooxidative processes
(2005)
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films have been deposited onto polycarbonate (PC) substrates from the products of PTFE evaporation, activated by a cloud of accelerated electrons. A 40.68 MHz glow discharge was used during the deposition process. The polymer films have been characterised by XPS, FTIR and AFM. The use of the low power plasma during film growth led to the formation of PTFE films with modified structure. Films are amorphous and contain more cross-links, but in general, the structure of their macromolecules is still linear. An increase of RF-power leads to the formation of films with large amount of double bonds and enhanced internal stresses.
Deposition of PTFE on PC without plasma treatment led to the formation of PTFE clusters up to 50 nm in diameter. The RMS roughness of the films, deposited without plasma, was about 4 nm, while the films deposited with plasma treatment had a roughness of 1.5 nm. The use of plasma has an additional effect if a PTFE coating is deposited on the PC substrate with submicrometer-sized steps. Without plasma the steps retain a rectangular shape. Deposited with the RF-discharge the PTFE layers resemble plasma-polymerised films. Under certain conditions the deposited films can fill trenches in the substrate like a wetting liquid, while under other conditions they avoid trenches and grow in between them.
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.
Copolymers of acrylic acid and styrene (AA/S) were prepared by pulsed plasma deposition technique. Their structure–property relationships were studied in dependence on the comonomer ratio. Both, the regularity of the structure and the composition of the thin copolymer films were investigated by bulk-sensitive (dielectric spectroscopy, FTIR, and differential scanning calorimetry) as well as surface-sensitive methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For an unambiguous identification of the functionality of the deposited films the COOH groups were estimated by derivatization with trifluoroethanol and subsequent XPS measurement as well as by the quantitative analysis of the FTIR data. As a result, the concentration of COOH groups on the surface and in the bulk is increasing with the fraction of AA in precursor mixture in a non-monotonous way but similar to the dependence obtained by conventional free radical polymerization.
The pulsed plasma polymerization of allyl alcohol was employed under the aspect of maximal retention of OH groups and the formation of a regular polymer structure. It should be noted that earlier investigations on plasma polymers deposited from allyl alcohol did not show extensive postplasma addition of oxygen and water vapor from ambient air during storage, measuring the elemental O/C ratio by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).The identification of OH groups in the plasma polymerized polymer using FTIR spectroscopy was such an indicator for fragmentation. The peak area of OH groups in the film which was stored was increased by about 20% compared to that measured ('in situ'). These phenomenons reflected that moisture and O2 in air played an important role in scavenging the free radicals. The addition of water and more specifically chemical bonding of OH of water in the deposited plasma polymer may serve as an indicator for monomer fragmentation, poly recombination, and the remaining radicals responsible for film formation. Moreover, the dielectric measurements show that the plasma deposited films are not thermally stable but undergo a postplasma chemical reaction during heating, where the reaction kinetics depends on pressure.
Factors affecting the intrinsic anti-oxidative activity of carbon-nanofibers - Metallic impurities
(2009)
Nanotubes und Nanofasern (CNT, CNF) besitzen inhärente antioxidative Eigenschaften. Diese Fähigkeit könnte sehr nützlich für die Langzeitstabilität entsprechender Polymercomposite sein. Sie haben Elektronenaffinitäten ähnlich der von Fullerenen und sind deshalb in der Lage, Radikalfallen darzustellen und damit radikalische Kettenreaktionen zu unterbinden. Hier wurde die anti-oxidative Aktivität kommerzieller Nanofasern von Fischgrätenstruktur untersucht. Zunächst wurde der quantitative Einfluss von Ni-Verunreinigungen erfasst. Die eigentliche anti-oxidative Wirkung wurde mit einer aeroben Modelloxidation von Cumol verifiziert und deren kinetischen Parameter für kommerzielle und besonders gereinigte CNF-HBs bestimmt. CNF-HB inhibiert die Modellreaktion durch Einfangen der Peroxiradikale. Die Oxidation vollzieht sich nach einer ausgeprägten Induktionsphase in semi-logarithmischer Abhängigkeit für die speziell gereinigten Spezies. Es konnten erstmals die effektive Konzentration an inhibierenden Zentren und die Inhibierungs-Geschwindigkeitskonstante für CNF-HB bestimmt werden. Die Inhibierungs-Geschwindigkeitskonstante beträgt k7 = (6 ± 1.0) × 103lmol-1 s-1 und liegt damit in der für Anti-Oxidanzien erwarteten Größenordnung.
The potential of spectrofluorometry and fluorescence microscopy for the characterization and quantification of different functionalities like OH and NH2 groups at plasma-chemically modified polymer surfaces is assessed using traditional reactive dyes such as dansyl derivatives and a sophisticated VIS-excitable chromogenic and fluorogenic pyrylium label showing binding-induced spectral and intensity changes in absorption and emission. Aiming at an improved fluorometric surface analysis, based upon these measurements, several sources of uncertainty inherent to fluorescence measurements are illustrated ranging from environment-dependent dye absorption and emission features over spectral correction and nonspecific adsorption to the critical influence of label choice on the measured background. Solutions to these drawbacks are given thereby underlining the potential of fluorometry for surface analysis.
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.
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.
Polyolefin surfaces (polyethylene and polypropylene) were exposed to haloform (CHX3) plasmas for introduction of monosort halogen groups. Bromoform and chloroform plasmas produced selectively C-Br (100 Br/100 C) and C-Cl (200 Cl/100 C) groups in high yields. The bromoform plasma showed 1-3 and the chloroform plasma 2-7 post-plasma introduced O-functionalities per 100 C. The polyolefin C-Br groups were grafted wet-chemically or by exposure to the vapour of amines, diols and glycols. Thus, spacer molecules could be covalently bonded to maximal 15 spacer molecules per 100 C for the smallest grafted molecules and 1.2 molecules/100 C for larger molecules as octaaminophenylene-POSS. After metal evaporation the end groups of these polymer-bonded spacer molecules formed also covalent bonds to the metal. Thus, flexible, hydrophobic and barrier elements were introduced into the polymer-metal interfaces for high-impact, high-durable and water-resistant metal-polymer composites as measured by means of peel strengths.
Aerosol-based DBD - A simple way to provide polymers with functional groups for adhesion promotion
(2013)
Polypropylene (PP) foils were exposed to the plasma of an atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in presence of different aerosols. Pure liquids such as water, ethanol, and 1/1 mixtures ethanol/water (v/v) or aqueous Solutions of acetic acid, poly(acrylic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol), and ethylene glycolpoly(vinyl alcohol) copolymer were introduced into the DBD. Surface composition, the number of functional groups per 100 C atoms, and water contact angles were correlated with the energy density of DBD plasma exposure.
The wettability of the treated surfaces was investigated for different storage times. Peel strength of the thermally deposited aluminum layer to modified polymer surfaces revealed that the aerosol introduction strongly improves the adhesion between aluminum and polypropylene.
Indirect UV-absorption spectrometry was shown to be a valuable tool for chemical characterization of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It complements data from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or FTIR analysis since it helps to clarify the type and concentration of functional groups. The principles of indirect application of UV-spectrometry and its mathematical interpretation are discussed. Their facile application, together with their adequate sensitivity and high flexibility, make UV-absorption-based approaches a valuable alternative to fluorescence spectrometry. Here, the approach was applied to the chemical analysis of oxidizing substances on CNTs. For this, pristine CNTs of low but finite oxygen content as well as brominated CNTs were analyzed by reaction in suspension with UV-active thiol reagents and a styrene derivative. It was shown that carefully selected reagents allow differentiation and quantification of bromine and generally oxidizing entities like oxygen. For brominated CNTs, it was shown that physisorbed bromine may dominate the overall bromine content.
Response of linear, branched or crosslinked polyethylene structures on the attack of oxygen plasma
(2014)
Linear, branched and crosslinked polyethylenes (PE) were exposed to the low-pressure oxygen plasma for 2–120 s. In the following the samples were washed with solvents to remove low-molecular weight oxidized material and to excavate the subjacent polymer structure for microscopic characterization. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements provided information about changes in elemental composition and chemical structure of PE after plasma exposure and washing. The calculation of the concentration of tertiary C atoms using XPS data was a measure of branches and crosslinking in the polymer before and after exposure to oxygen plasma. Linear PE was most sensitive towards oxygen plasma and showed the highest concentration in tertiary C atoms after plasma exposure. On the other hand branched PE types, which possess originally more tertiary carbon atoms, have lost two-third of them after 2 s oxygen plasma exposure. Branched PE show also topological changes at their surface as detected by atomic force microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements confirmed strong changes in crystallinity and molecular orientation of linear PE already after 120 s exposure to the oxygen plasma interpreted as amorphization. These effects should be interpreted as result of crosslinking caused by the recombination of dangling bond sites.
Melamine and melamine resins are widely used as fire retardants for polymer materials used in pharmaceutical, plastic, textile, rubber, and construction industry. Melamine-based flame retardants act by blowing off intumescent layers, char formation, and emission of quenching ammonia gas and diluent molecular nitrogen. Special advantages are: low cost, low smoke density and toxicity, low corrosive activity, safe handling, and environmental friendliness. Methylated poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (mPMF) was used as thick (≥40 µm) fire-retardant coating for plasma pretreated polymers. A combined low-pressure plasma pretreatment consisting of oxygen plasma exposure followed by deposition of thin poly(allylamine) (ppAAm) and poly(allyl alcohol) (ppAAl) plasma polymers as adhesion promoters have improved the adhesion of thick mPMF coatings strongly. Chemical structure and composition of deposited polymer films were characterized by infrared-attenuated total reflectance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After peeling, the peeled layer surfaces were also investigated for identification of the locus of failure and their topography using optical microscopy and XPS. Often the adhesion promotion was so efficient that the peeling of coating was not possible. Thermal properties of plasma polymers and dip-coating films were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis. Significant improvement of fire-retardant properties of coated polymers was confirmed by flame tests.
Substrate-induced self-assembly of donor-acceptor type compounds with terminal thiocarbonyl groups
(2013)
Two types of conjugated thiocarbonyl-terminated compounds have been synthesized and their ability to be adsorbed on surfaces of the different nature, namely, glass, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and gold has been studied. Different morphology of the films prepared by thermal vacuum evaporation and drop-casting from solutions has been observed depending on the surface used. It has been found that gold surface has a unique property to influence self-assembly of both monolayer and larger aggregates or crystals of the compounds, in contrast to glass and PTFE substrates. It was found that thiocarbonyl group is able to be chemisorbed to the gold surface. However, it was concluded that in spite of the fact that the thiocarbonyl groups are important for the chemical interaction with the gold surface, physical adsorption on the substrate surface, compoundcompound and compound–solvent (when using solution) interactions are of great significance to drive self-assembly of the final film.
For simulation and acceleration of artificial polymer ageing, polyolefin foils were exposed to low-pressure Ar plasma. Plasma particle bombardment and irradiation induce C–C and C–H bond scissions by σ→σ* excitations on the surface and in near-surface layers. Consequently, radicals are generated. They react by recombination, cross-linking, metastable trapping of the radical site or formation of olefinic double bonds. The long-living and metastable trapped C-radicals as well as double bonds in polyolefins were immediately exposed to bromine vapour without breaking the vacuum after switching-off the plasma. These reactive sites rapidly react with the molecular bromine under formation of C–Br bonds. For 5 min of argon plasma exposure, the elemental concentration of bromine was 13% for polyethylene and 22% Br/C for polypropylene as analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Nevertheless, not all C radical sites have reacted with bromine. Later on, when the polyolefins brought in contact with ambient air, an additional post-plasma reaction of the remaining trapped radicals with oxygen was observed. The oxygen concentrations were lower after bromine gassing, thus repressing partially the post-plasma oxidation in the analysed layer (ca. 6 nm) by radical quenching. Such bromination took place either at the surface or in near-surface layers because the Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR)-FTIR spectra (sampling depth ca. 2500 nm) did not show significant changes for argon plasma-treated PE foils with and without bromine vapour exposure. Further addition of bromine may also occur on C=C double bonds.
Plasma-chemical bromination applied to graphitic materials, in particular to highly ordered pyrolytic graphite is reviewed. The resulting bromination efficiency of the plasma-chemical treatment was subject of systematic process optimization. The plasma of elemental bromine vapour produced bromine concentrations on graphene surfaces of more than 30 % Br/C using either inductively or capacitively coupled low-pressure radio-frequency plasmas. Plasma brominated graphite surfaces have been studied by Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The introduction of bromine into graphene-like graphite layers and its binding situation were investigated. To study the physical effect of the plasma bromination process, Kr plasma was also used because of its chemical inertness but similar atomic mass. Covering the samples with a Faraday cage or with a LiF window should help to differentiate between physical, chemical and radiation effects of the plasma. Bromination was assigned to radical or electrophilic addition of bromine onto fully substituted aromatic double bonds (sp² C) with exothermal reaction enthalpy. Low bromination shows a strong decay of aromatic double bonds, higher bromination percentage let disappear all aromatic rings. The formed C–Br bonds were well suited for efficient grafting of organic molecules by post-plasma wet-chemical nucleophilic substitution. This grafting onto the graphene surface was demonstrated using aminosilane and different diamines. The bromination of double bonds changes the hybridization of carbon atoms from plane sp² to tetrahedral sp³ hybridization. Thus, the plane topography of graphene is destroyed and the conductivity is lost.
Activators regenerated by electron transfer–atom radical transfer polymerization (ATRP) as a controlled living polymerization are distinguished by their acceptance of small amounts of transition-metal complexes and oxygen and by their tolerance of reducing agents at a high concentration. The precondition of all ATRP applications is the use of homolytic or heterolytic cleavable halides as a dormant species; this allows the propagation of monomer chains. Hence, alkyl bromides are slightly cleavable and are the preferred initiators for ATRP. The bromination of polymer slides used as macroinitiators was carried out under gentle bromoform plasma conditions. This led to an oxidation-resistant stable bromine layer. More than 20 bromines per 100 carbons on the polymer scaffold were permanently bound to the substrate after plasma treatment. The resulting amounts of secondary and tertiary bromines on the polymer scaffold exhibited a suitable macroinitiator concentration for the surface-initiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate.
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).
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.
Nanoparticulate networks as fillers for polymer based nanocomposites offer an optimized, surfactant free distribution of the inorganic component. Additionally, their non-aggregated but interconnected nanoparticulate subunits can lead to new properties owing to special inherent solid state properties and/or spacial restrictions to the polymeric parts. In particular, polymer nanocomposites based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), filled with different nanoparticulate networks of AlOOH were synthesized using two advanced synthesis techniques. An ex situ method, in which a preformed AlOOH-gel was solvent exchanged by methyl methacrylate (MMA) and an in situ method, in which the AlOOH scaffold was prepared within hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), have been used to produce the materials described here through polymerization. On the MMA based composites the particles were removed by etching, yielding porous polymers. Promising for a broad variety of crystallisable networks within polymers, the phase transition of amorphous AlOOH within PMMA towards crystalline boehmite was performed using a hydrothermal method. The materials were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, IR-spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy and hardness measurements. Special material properties were investigated using thermogravimetry, thermomechanical analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. Furthermore, interactions between PMMA segments and the AlOOH network were detailed studied using dielectric spectroscopy.
Plasma-chemical bromination has been shown to be well-suited for highly selective and efficient C–Br-functionalization of polyolefin surfaces and has now been applied to graphitic materials, including highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), natural graphite, carbon nanotubes, and graphitized carbon fibres. In contrast to the radical substitution of hydrogen by bromine at hydrogen-terminated sp3-hybridized carbon, bromination of all-carbon bound sp2-hybridized carbon in graphene requires addition to aromatic double bonds. The related change of sp2 to sp3 hybridization of the carbon atoms involved helps to explain experimental results of a loss in surface planarity on brominated HOPG. Bromine concentrations of up to 50 bromine atoms per 100 C-atoms were achieved in elemental bromine vapour under low-pressure plasma conditions using low-energetic inductively coupled radio-frequency plasma excitation. The time scale of the bromination progress was found to increase with the specific surface area of the material. The results of plasma-chemical bromination are compared to that of wet-chemical electrophilic addition reactions, which achieved 28 Br per 100 C for MWCNT. The resulting C–Br bonds from plasma-chemical processing of graphitic materials were shown to be well-suited for hydroxyl functionalization and for grafting of organic molecules by nucleophilic substitution with 1,6-diaminohexane and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane.
Polar groups were introduced on polypropylene surfaces for increasing the surface energy and the peel strength to evaporated aluminium layers. Three kinds of plasma processes were used for introducing such functional groups to polyolefin surfaces: low-pressure radio-frequency (RF) O2 plasma exposure, atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) treatment in air, and the deposition of allylamine plasma polymer. The amino groups of the allylamine plasma polymer were also used as anchoring points for chemical introduction of covalently bonded spacer molecules equipped with reactive endgroups. Thus, silanol endgroups of a covalently bonded spacer were able to interact with the evaporated metal layer. The Al-PP composites achieved a maximal peel strength of 470 N/m by exposing the polymer to the lowpressure O2 plasma and 500 N/m on exposure to the atmospheric DBD plasma. After allylamine plasma polymerization and grafting of spacers, the peel strength was usually higher than 1500 N/m and the composites could not be peeled.
Thin metal-filled polyterafluoroethylene films with various metal concentration were produced by co-deposition in vacuum. Metal nanocluster size increased with metal concentration. Films were heated up to 300 degrees C, their optical spectra were recorded during heating. The changes in plasmon band shape and wavelength of the nanocluster ensemble during heating are not linearly related with metal concentration and heating temperature. This is caused by different thermal behavior of the complex processes, which are taking place in each of the two materials present in the film. The metal cluster size and optical properties of the whole ensemble can be purposefully formed by varying metal nature, its concentration and annealing temperature of the film. Nano- and micro-domains with properties different from original film were generated by focused excimer laser or electron beam. Gold-filled PTFE nano-structured films were used as substrate for surface enhanced Raman scattering measurements of ultrathin film of Rhodamine 6G dye.
Since more than 40 years ammonia plasma exposure of polyolefins is used for introduction of primary amino groups. The selectivity of this reaction and the yield in primary amino groups was found to be low. Here, a prominent side-reactions of this process was investigated, the hydrogenation by NH3 plasma. For identification of hydrogenation ammonia (NH3) and deuterated ammonia (ND3) were exposed to Polyethylene (h-PE) and fully deuterated polyethylene (d-PE) as well as hexatriacontane (h-HTC) and fully deuterated hexatriacontane (d-HTC) as low-molecular weight model for PE. HD exchange was assumed and detected by Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToFSIMS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR-FTIR) and 1H and 2H Nuclear magnetic Resonance. Results show a significant HD exchange within the sampling depth of ATR (2.5 µm). However, N- and NH2 introduction was limited to the topmost surface as shown by SIMS and XPS (a few nanometers).
Poly(acrylic acid) films with a thickness of about 150?nm were deposited using a pulsed plasma onto aluminum and glass. The structure/property relationships of these samples were studied in dependence to the duty cycle (DC) of the plasma by a broad combination of different techniques and probes. For the first time, volume sensitive methods (FTIR, dielectric spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry) are combined with surface analyses i.e. XPS. For an unambiguous identification of COOH groups by XPS, derivatization with trifluoroethanol was accomplished. Quantitative FTIR investigations give qualitatively a dependence of the concentration of COOH groups upon DC similar to that given by XPS investigations. The observed differences are discussed considering the different analytical depths of both methods. The dielectric measurements reveal that the structure of the plasma deposited films is different from that of the bulk material. Moreover, these measurements show also that the plasma deposited films are not thermally stable but undergo a post plasma chemical reaction during heating, where the reaction kinetics depends on DC.
Poly(allyl alcohol) films with a thickness of about 150 nm were deposited by pulse plasma polymerization onto different substrates (inorganic and organic). The structure/property relationships of these samples were studied in dependence on the duty cycle (DC) of the plasma by a broad combination of different techniques and probes. For the first time volume sensitive methods (FTIR and dielectric spectroscopy) are combined with surface analytics by employing XPS for that system. FTIR spectroscopy gives qualitatively the same dependence of the concentration of the OH groups on DC like XPS.
The observed differences are discussed considering the different analytical depths of both the methods. The dielectric measurements show that the plasma deposited films are not thermally stable but undergo a post plasma chemical reaction during heating. The results obtained by dielectric spectroscopy are discussed in detail with the data from FTIR and XPS measurements.
Wet-chemically oxidized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) generally exhibit both covalently-bound acidic functional groups on the surface and surface-adsorbed acidic substances, i.e. carbonaceous CNT fragments from the oxidation procedure. Direct potentiometric titration of oxidizable high surface area materials with dynamically desorbing acidic fragments is slow and inaccurate. Adsorbed acidic fragments are deprotonated by sodium hydroxide and form anions in solution which is not the case for covalently bound acidic groups on the CNTs, so the following filtration after NaOH treatment separates desorbable acidic substances from non-desorbable or covalently bound groups. For a known concentration of NaOH, titration of the eluate with hydrochloric acid (HCl) allows determination of the concentrations of both types of acidities. However, contrary to reports in the literature, the NaOH consumed by non-desorbed acidic groups has to be accounted for and impedes distinction of desorbed acidic groups via their pKa values. Results are presented of a study on the information content and the reliability of indirect potentiometric Boehm titration for different oxidized multi-walled CNTs.
Polypropylene supports were functionalized by plasma-deposition of polymeric allylamine layers. The surface amino groups generated were wet-chemically reacted with xanthene dyes resulting in fluorescent polymer films. The effect of polymer-attachment of the dyes on their emission features was studied fluorometrically and different methods were tested to improve the fluorescence properties of the films. Modification with cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) yields a moderately enhanced fluorescence as well as an improved photostability. The observed effect is most likely due to CB6-induced rigidization of the linker molecules which seems to reduce fluorescence quenching dyedye and fluorophoresurface interactions.
Polyolefins are chemically inert and do not adhere well to metals, polymers or inorganics. To overcome this problem, polyolefin surfaces were modified thermally, plasmachemically, or by flame treatment with different oxygen-containing groups, however, unfortunately, such treatments were accompanied by undesired, adhesion lowering polymer degradation. To solve this dilemma, solutions of synthetic polymers and copolymers were prepared, sprayed into the barrier discharge or electrosprayed without discharge and deposited as thin adhesion-promoting layers. The deposited polymer layers from poly(vinylamine), poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(vinyl alcohol) copolymers and poly(acrylic acid) were endowed with monotype functional groups. Using the aerosol - dielectric barrier discharge only a fraction of functional groups survived the deposition process in contrast to the electrospray in which all functional groups were retained.
ToF-SIMS has been used to study the surface functionalization of polypropylene and polyethylene samples by exposure to low-pressure ammonia plasma. Static secondary ion mass spectrometry is an appropriate tool to determine hydrogen isotopes as elements and in fragment ions with high sensitivity and selectivity. Specifically the exchange of hydrogen isotopes and the incorporation of N-containing moieties in the near-surface layer of the polyolefins have been studied in ND3 plasma experiments with conventional polypropylene (h-PP) and polyethylene (h-PE) and NH3 plasma experiments with deuterated polyethylene (d-PE). Considering the exchange of hydrogen between the plasma and the polymer surface studied by using deuterated ammonia and polyolefin samples the conclusion has been derived that polypropylene with its side chain methyl groups is more susceptible to hydrogen exchange reactions. For ND3 plasma treatment of polyethylene and polypropylene similar N-containing fragments were obtained and the measured semi-quantitative ToF-SIMS N-uptake data are rather similar. The observation of a wide range of characteristic mixed CkNlHmDn+ secondary fragment ions suggests complex and manifold reaction pathways at the polymer–plasma interface besides simple grafting of –ND2 or –NH2 moieties formed by ammonia fragmentation in the plasma. Finally, indications of an isotopic effect for hydrogen isotopes in the plasma process have been observed by comparison of ND3/h-PE results with those of NH3/d-PE.
Melamine resins were used as 50-µm-thick fire retardant coatings for polypropylene (PP). Preceding deposition, low-pressure plasma polymer films of allyl alcohol were coated onto PP to improve the adhesion between PP and melamine resin coatings. The efficiency of such fire retardant coatings was confirmed by flame tests. The plasma-deposited polymer and the dip-coated melamine resin films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adhesion of coatings was measured using a 90° peel test with a doubled-faced adhesive tape. To detect the locus of failure, the peeled layer surfaces were inspected using optical microscopy and XPS. Thermal properties of PP thick melamine resin-coated films were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis.
Thin coatings of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA) were deposited onto carbon fibers by means of the electrospray ionization (ESI) technique in ambient air. These high-molecular weight polymer layers were used as adhesion promoters in carbon fiberepoxy resin composites. Within the ESI process, the carbon fibers were completely enwrapped with polymer in the upper 10 plies of a carbon fiber roving. As identified with scanning electron microscopy also shadowed fibers in a bundle as well as backsides of fiber rovings were pinhole-free coated with polymers (electrophoretic effect'). Under the conditions used, the layers have a granular structure. Residual solvent was absent in the deposit. PAA and PHEMA films did not show any changes in composition and structure in comparison with the original polymers as analyzed by X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Single-fiber pullout tests of coated fibers embedded in epoxy resin showed significantly increased interfacial shear strength. It is assumed that chemical bonds between carbon fiber poly(acrylic acid) and epoxy resin contribute significantly to the improved interactions.
Melamine and melamine resins are widely used as fire-retardants for polymer building materials. Cured melamine systems are used in heat-sensitive items, such as furniture and window frames and sills. In this work, differently cured methylated poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (cmPMF) resins were used as fire-retardant coverage for poly(styrene) (PS) and poly(ethylene) (PE) building materials. Such polymer layers should have several tenths of micrometers thickness to produce sufficient fire retardancy. These thick layers were produced by dip-coating. To promote sufficient adhesion of such thick coating to the polyolefin substrates, also in the case of high temperatures occurring at fire exposure, the polymer substrates were firstly coated with a few hundred nanometer thick adhesion-promoting plasma polymer layer. Such thin plasma polymer layers were deposited by low-pressure plasma polymerization of allyl alcohol (ppAAl). It was assumed that the hydroxyl groups of ppAAl interact with the melamine resin; therefore, ppAAl was well suited as adhesion promoter for thick melamine resin coatings. Chemical structure and composition of polymer films were investigated using infrared-attenuated total reflectance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Peel strengths of coatings were measured. After peeling, the peeled polymer surfaces were also investigated using optical microscopy and XPS the layers for identification of the locus of peel front propagation. Thermal properties were analyzed using TGA (thermo-gravimetric analyses). Finally, the fire-retardant properties of such thick coated polymers were evaluated by exposure to flames.
Polyglycerol (PG) coated polypropylene (PP) films were synthesized in a two-step approach that involved plasma bromination and subsequently grafting hyperbranched polyglycerols with very few amino functionalities. The influence of different molecular weights and density of reactive linkers were investigated for the grafted PGs. Longer bromination times and higher amounts of linkers on the surface afforded long-term stability. The protein adsorption and bacteria attachment of the PP-PG films were studied. Their extremely low amine content proved to be beneficial for preventing bacteria attachment.
The study of protein corona formation on nanoparticles (NPs) represents an actual main issue in colloidal, biomedical and toxicological sciences. However, little is known about the influence of polymer shells on the formation and time evolution of protein corona onto functionalized NPs. Therefore, silicapoly(ethylene glycol) core–shell nanohybrids (SNPs@PEG) with different polymer molecular weights (MW) were synthesized and exhaustively characterized. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) at different concentrations (0.1–6 wt%) was used as model protein to study protein corona formation and time evolution. For pristine SNPs and SNPs@PEG (MW = 350 g/mol), zeta potential at different incubation times show a dynamical evolution of the nanoparticle–protein corona. Oppositely, for SNPs@PEG with MW ≥2000 g/mol a significant suppression of corona formation and time evolution was observed.
Furthermore, AFM investigations suggest a different orientation (side-chain or perpendicular) and Penetration depth of BSA toward PEGylated surfaces depending on the polymer length which may explain differences in protein corona evolution.
A facile and versatile synthetic route for controlling the size and surface potential of organic–inorganic hybrid silica nanoparticles (NPs) is introduced in this paper. For polymer-grafted NPs, the density of polymer chains on the surface is strongly affected by the concentration of precursor. Nevertheless, for condensed NPs, the precursor concentration determines the particle size but not the density of polymer chains on the surface or the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Results presented here may have Major implications in biomedical and colloidal chemistry since interfacial and colloidal properties are known to drive several processes associated with nanoparticles in biological media.
The adhesion of thick poly(allylamine)-polyphosphate layers (1 µm) deposited by the wet-chemical layer-by-layer technique (LbL) onto polyethylene or polystyrene (each 100 µm) was very low. To promote the adhesion of these LbL layers the polyolefin substrates were oxidized at the surface by short exposure to the oxygen plasma (2 or 5 s) and subsequently coated with an interlayer of plasma-deposited poly(allylamine) or poly(allyl alcohol) (100 nm). The plasma polymer interlayers have improved strongly the adhesion between polyolefin substrates and polyphosphate coatings. Such phosphate coatings are interesting for life sciences (nucleotide formation) but also for fire retardancy in combination with N-rich compounds such as melamine.
The intention was to prefer chemical and hydrogen bonds for adhesion promoting because of their high binding energy. Therefore, the introduced oxygen-containing groups at the polyolefin surface could interact with the OH or NH2 groups of the adhesion-promoting plasma polymer interlayer. These groups were also able to interact strongly with the poly(allylamine)-polyphosphate topcoating.
The coated polyolefins were investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in Attenuated Total Reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Thermo-Gravimetric Analyses (TGA) and Atomic Force Spectroscopy (AFM) and 90° peel test.
It has been shown that selected types of substituents are able to vary the oxidative behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Such substituents investigated were sterically hindered secondary amino groups bonded in grafted piperidine units and covalently bonded bromine groups. Their interference and activity was preliminary determined in the model cumene and then in oil diesel fraction and low density polyethylene oxidation reactions. Results obtained indicate that chemical linking of amine moieties containing –NH groups directly to the carbon nanotubes core significantly increases their intrinsic anti-oxidative capacity while the grafting of Br-groups provokes the opposite functioning of the pristine samples. This inference was proved by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis of the polyethylene composites and experiments on profound aerobic oxidation of petroleum naphthenic fraction derived from the commercial Baku oils blend diesel cut.
Nebulizing of polymer solutions, in a high-voltage field under atmospheric conditions by electrospray ionization (ESI), is a comfortable way to deposit ultra-thin layers of polar or ionic polymers onto any conductive substrate materials. The substrate is grounded and the polymer solution is sprayed through a powered capillary. The formed charged droplets shrink by solvent evaporation during their way to the grounded substrate, the charges close ranks and the droplets collapse consecutively by charge repulsion, thus forming finally charged single macromolecules. After their discharging at the grounded substrate, an ultrathin ‘quasi-monomolecular’ polymer layer is formed. It could be shown by imaging of scratches through the polymer layer by atomic force microscopy that the deposited polymer layers are dense at a thickness of about 10 nm. Carbon fibre bundles were coated with poly (allylamine) (PAAm) or poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as potential adhesion-promoting layers in fibre–polymer composites. The polymer deposition is self-inhibiting after formation of a continuous coverage of about 200 nm for PAAm and 30 nm for PAA as result of surface charging. Continuous deposition onto such isolating layers or polymers without charging can be achieved by using current of alternating polarity. The film formation is self-healing because of the electrophoretic effect, i.e. the ion discharging occurs preferentially at noncoated areas. This electrophoretic effect of ESI was demonstrated by completely enwrapping all the carbon fibres of the roving within a distance of about 100 μm far from its outside and also at the backside of the fibre bundle with about 80% of the topside coverage, as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and visualized using scanning electron microscopy.
Polymer deposition morphology by electrospray deposition - Modifications through distance variation
(2014)
Electrospray deposition (ESD) of highly diluted polymers was examined with regard to the deposited surface structure. Only the flight distance (flight time) onto the resulting deposited surface was varied from 20 to 200 mm.
An apparatus without any additional heating or gas flows was used. Polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyallylamine (PAAm) in methanol were deposited on Si wafers. The polymer layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, derivatization reactions and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy using a grazing incidence unit.
SEM images illustrated the changing structures of PAA and PAAm. For PAA the deposited structure changed from a smooth film (20 mm) to a film with individual droplets on the coated surface (100 mm and 200 mm), while for PAAm individual droplets can be seen at all distances. The ESD process with cascades of splitting droplets slows down for PAA after distances greater than 40 mm. In contrast, the ESD process for PAAm is nearly stopped within the first flight distance of 20 mm. Residual solvent analysis showed that most of the solvent evaporated within the first 20 mm capillary-sample distance.
Communication: Fire retardant coatings are deposited on polyamide-66 using plasma polymerisation. Chemical composition and thickness of deposits are adjusted varying the plasma treatment based on hexamethydisiloxane mixed with oxygen. The fire retardancy performances are evaluated using a cone calorimeter. The correlation between fire retardancy and thickness as well as chemical composition is discussed.