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- Englisch (52) (entfernen)
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- Plasma modification (5)
- Functional groups (3)
- Introduction of functional groups (3)
- Peel strength (3)
- Pulsed plasma (3)
- Pulsed plasma polymerization (3)
- Acrylic acid (2)
- Allyl alcohol (2)
- Allylamine (2)
- Aluminium (2)
Polymer surfaces were modified in low-pressure glow discharge plasmas for introduction of monotype functional groups of different type and density. For this purpose three ways are selected, (i) oxygen plasma treatment followed by wet-chemical reduction of O functional groups to OH groups, (ii) plasma bromination for introducing C - Br groups and (iii) coating by deposition of thin plasma (co-) polymerized layers of functional groups-bearing monomers with OH, NH2, COOH, epoxy etc. functionalities. Subsequently, these groups were used as anchoring points for chemical grafting of spacer molecules, oligomers, prepolymers, fluorescent labels, ionic and nucleic acid residues, employing different chemical routes. The yield in monosort functional groups at polymer surfaces ranged from 1014 (process i), 2040 (process ii) and 1831 groups per 100 C atoms (process iii) as measured by XPS after derivatization. The consumption of functional groups amounted to 4090% of all functionalities present at the surface and depended on the dimensions of grafted molecules. For infinitely variably tuning the number of functional groups process iii was performed as copolymerization of a functional group-carrying comonomer with a non-functionalized (chain-extending) comonomer.
Several possibilities exist to produce a modified polymer surface with a high density of only one sort of functional group such as: (i) the plasma grafting of unfragmented monomer molecules and their polymerization forms OH, NH2, COOH groups, etc. in concentrations of approximately 25 groups per 100 C atoms; (ii) selective plasma bromination provides 1025 CBr groups; (iii) the plasma oxidation of polymer surfaces in an O2 plasma followed by the chemical reduction of all O-containing groups to OH groups by diborane, vitride (Na complex) or LiAlH4 yields 914 OH groups per 100 carbon atoms; and (iv) the grafting of spacers with different endgroups onto OH or CBr groups produces 710 spacer molecules/100 C. This work was focused on the formation of thin plasma deposited polymer layers with a maximum of (homo)functional groups and with a minimum of chemical irregularities using the pulsed plasma technique. The monomers were allylalcohol, allylamine, acrylonitrile and acrylic acid. The further intent was to study the interactions of functional groups (OH, COOH, NH2) and deposited metals (Cr, Al, Ti). It was expected that more basic (NH2), weakly basic or neutral (OH) or more acidic (COOH) groups would show different interactions and chemical reactions with metal atoms.
The retention of chemical structure and functional groups during plasma polymerization was investigated. Usually plasma polymer layers, prepared by a continuous wave radio-frequency plasma, are often chemically irregular in their structure and composition. To minimize these irregularities low wattages and the pulsed plasma technique were applied to avoid fragmentations. The first goal was to produce plasma polymers comprising double or triple bonds as precursors for electrically conducting polymers. Acetylene, ethylene, butadiene and polystyrene were used as monomers and deposited as thin polymer films by pulsed plasmas of low wattages. Styrene polymerization was strongly enhanced in the dark phase (plasma off) of a pulsed r.f. plasma caused by the reactivity of the vinyl-type double bond. This could be confirmed by a verification of a rather high chemical regularity of the film sample. The oxygen content of this film measured by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) was in situ 0% and after 24 h exposure to air lower than 1%. Additionally, post-plasma oxidations of trapped radicals with air could be suppressed using NO gas as radical quencher. Such quenched plasma polymer layers were completely stable against oxidation for a number of weeks. During the low-wattage pulse plasma polymerization metal atoms were simultaneously or layer by layer evaporated into the growing layer and in situ measured by XPS. These metal atoms are acting as dopants. Here, Li, K, Mg and Cr were used at different concentrations providing electrical conductivity and magnetic properties for the film.
The chemical and morphological stabilities of polymer segments in the near-surface layer were investigated by spectroscopic methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Model studies were undertaken with LangmuirBlodgett films, self-assembled monolayers and oligomer films. For thin polymer layers (30 to 500 nm), the changes in molecular-weight distributions of some polymers were investigated systematically by size exclusion chromatography, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionizationtime-of-flight mass spectrometry and thermal-field flow fractionation for oxygen- and helium-plasma exposures. The polymer surfaces were found to be relatively stable at exposure to an oxygen low-pressure plasma up to ca. 2 s. This is important information to get maximum adhesion to metals in composites. In correlation to their redox potentials, potassium, aluminium and chromium react with oxygen functional groups at the polymer/metal interface. In a dedicated study, chromium was found to attack aromatic rings and form different reaction products.
Polymer surfaces can be finished with functional groups upon exposure to a plasma. Species of the plasma gas are attached at surface carbon atoms, forming functional groups of different composition. To produce a modified polymer surface with a high density and homogeneity of hydroxyl groups only, the oxygen-plasma-formed oxygen functional groups were chemically reduced by diborane and LiAlH4 with yields of 10 to 11 OH groups per 100 carbon atoms in the 3 to 5 nm near-surface layer as detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The identification of hydroxyl groups was performed by means of attenuated total reflectanceFourier transform infrared spectroscopy and XPS.
The influence of different types of low and atmospheric pressure plasma on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has been studied in terms of changes in molar mass and molar mass distribution. Apart from a variation of plasma gases (oxygen, helium) different types of plasma (microwave, radio frequency, corona discharge) were used for the plasma surface modification. The changes in molar mass and types of functional end groups of lower molar mass products were investigated by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), whereas the high-molar mass fraction was analyzed by means of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). The formation of crosslinked products during exposure to a helium plasma, which emits preponderately energy-rich and intense ultraviolet radiation, was proved by means of thermal field-flow fractionation (ThFFF). This method combined with a multiangle laser light scattering (MALLS) detector allows detection of weakly crosslinked polymers and microgels. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1639-1648, 1998
Modelling plasma-induced reactions on polymer surfaces using aliphatic self-assembling and LB layers
(1998)
The hydrolytic degradation of technical poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was investigated by means of different methods such as size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), viscometry, light-scattering, thin-layer chromatography, end-group titration, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The long-term degradation was simulated by exposing PET filament yarns to aqueous neutral conditions at 90°C for up to 18 weeks. By means of MALDI-MS and thin-layer chromatography, the formation of different oligomers was obtained during polymer degradation. As expected, an ester scission process was found generating acid terminated oligomers (H-[GT]m-OH) and T-[GT]m-OH and ethylene glycol terminated oligomers (H-[GT]m-G), where G is an ethylene glycol unit and T is a terephthalic acid unit. Additionally, the scission of the ester bonds during the chemical treatment led to a strong decrease in the number of cyclic oligomers ([GT]m). The occurrence of di-acid terminated species demonstrated a high degree of degradation.
Technical waxes and paraffins were investigated using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). SEC enables the simultaneous determination of molecular masses up to high values and molecular mass distributions. The resolution of homologous species, however, is poor. In this respect the use of SFC is advantageous. Proper resolution of homologues may be provided up to Mr~1200 without great difficulty. To compare these chromatographic results MALDI-MS was applied for the determination of molecular masses and mass distributions in technical waxes for the first time. Using reflectron mode excellent MALDI mass spectra could be achieved in the molecular mass range up to 1000 Da. The mean values of the molecular masses calculated by MALDI-MS were in sufficient agreement with those of SFC. In the linear mode of MALDI-MS molecular masses could be determined to nearly 3000 Da. Beyond this mass range SEC still remains the method of choice. Advantages and difficulties of the used methods are discussed in this paper.
Monotype functionalizations with different types of functional groups (OH, NH2, COOH) on polypropylene and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surfaces were synthesized using pulsed plasma-initiated homo- or copolymerization of functional group-carrying monomers. The maximum concentrations of functional groups were 31 OH, 18 NH2 or 24 COOH groups per 100 C atoms using allyl alcohol, allylamine or acrylic acid respectively as the monomer. The measured peel strengths of aluminium deposits increased linearly with the concentration of functional groups. Near the maximum concentration of OH (>27 OH/100 C atoms) or at moderate concentrations of COOH groups (>10 COOH/100 C atoms), constant (maximum) peel strengths were measured due to the mechanical collapse of one component in the composite (cohesive failure). Interface failures in Al-PP composites were found with COOH, NH2 and OH groups and cohesive failures were seen when higher concentrations of COOH groups were applied (>10 COOH/100 C atoms).
The peel strength of aluminium to polypropylene and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) was determined in dependence on the type and the concentration of functional groups on the polymer surface. For this purpose the polymer surface was equipped with monotype functional groups. The first method to produce monotype functionalized surfaces was an introduction of O functional groups using an oxygen plasma treatment and converting these groups to OH groups applying a wet chemical reduction. In result of this two-step treatment the hydroxyl group concentration at the polymer surface could be increased from 34 to 1014 OH groups/100 C atoms. The second method consists in the deposition of a 150 nm adhesion-promoting layer of plasmapolymers or copolymers onto the polymer surface using the pulsed plasma technique. For that purpose functional groups carrying monomers as allyl alcohol, allylamine and acrylic acid were used. Applying the plasma-initiated copolymerization and using neutral monomers like ethylene or butadiene the concentration of the functional groups was varied.
A correlation of peel strength with the ability of forming chemical interactions between Al atoms and functional groups was found: COOH > OH >> NH2 > H(CH2CH2).
In contrast to other plasma modification processes of polymer surfaces, the bromination is very selective and shows a high yield in C—Br groups. The most convenient bromination process was found using bromoform, which was thus preferred to elemental bromine, allyl bromide, vinyl bromide or tert-butylbromide. The bromoform process give yields in C—Br up to 40 C—Br or more, with only 2-3% co-introduction of O-functionalities whereas allyl bromide results in yields of about 20 C—Br and more, but in more than 10% oxygen-containing by-products. C—Br groups serve as anchoring points for grafting of molecules, oligomers and pre-polymers of diole or diamine character.
The X-ray-induced sample damage during mono XPS analysis of an oxygen-plasma-oxidized and subsequently wet-chemically reduced poly(propylene) film was investigated as a showcase for plasma-modified or plasma-deposited samples. By doing this, the degradation index approach as introduced by Beamson and Briggs in the Scienta ESCA300 high-resolution XPS database of organic polymers has been adopted. As to be expected, the sample degrades by loosing oxygen as revealed by observation of decreasing O/C and COR/Csum ratios. However, the X-ray degradation indices are definitely higher than those of conventional reference polymers. Moreover, the COR/Csum degradation index is significantly higher in comparison with one obtained for the O/C ratio. In that context, there is no difference between the plasma sample and a conventional poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer. It is concluded that for reliable quantitative surface chemical analysis, the quality of spectra in terms of acquisition times must be optimized aimed to a minimization of X-ray degradation. Finally, it is proposed to describe the photon flux of an X-ray gun in an XPS experiment, which defines the degradation rate at the end, by using the sample current simply measured with a carefully grounded sputter-cleaned reference silver sample.
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.