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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Die hochselektive und ausbeutereiche plasmachemische Bromierung von Polyolefinoberflächen wurde auf graphitische Materialien übertragen. Oberflächen von graphenartigem Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG), natürlichem Graphit, mehrwandige Kohlenstoffnanoröhren (MWCNT) sowie Kohlenstoff-Fasern wurden im Bromdampfplasma behandelt. Während die Bromierung von Polyolefinoberflächen als radikalische Wasserstoffabstraktion mit nachfolgender Addition (Rekombination) oder durch nucleophile Substitution an sp³-hybridisierten C-Atomen abläuft, können graphitische Strukturen sowohl an sp³-hybridisierten Strukturdefekten als auch durch elektrophile Addition an vollständig C-substituierte aromatische Doppelbindungen bromiert werden. Dabei werden die planaren (graphitischen) sp²-C-Atome in die tetraedrische sp³-Hybridisierung umgewandelt und zu elektrisch nichtleitenden Strukturen gefaltet.
Die maximalen Bromausbeuten bei Verwendung von Brom als Plasmamedium lagen je nach Substrat zwischen 1050% Br/C, mit Bromoform deutlich darüber, was durch Kombinationen von Bromoform mit Brom oder Allylbromid mit Bromoform durch Schichtbildung auf über 70% Br/C gesteigert werden konnte.
An die C-Br-Gruppen wurden nasschemisch verschiedene Amine nucleophil gepfropft. Die Pfropfausbeuten von 110 Moleküle je 100 C lagen deutlich niedriger als die erreichten Pfropfgrade von etwa 122 Moleküle je 100 C-Atome an Polyolefinoberflächen. Da nach der chemischen Pfropfung nahezu alle nichtgepfropften Br-Gruppen verschwunden waren, muss auf eine bevorzugte Rekonstruktion der planaren sp²-Graphitschicht geschlossen werden.
Die Elektrospray-Ionisations (ESI)-Vernebelung von Polymerlösungen wird analytisch zur massenspektrometrischen Bestimmung der Molmassen von Makromolekülen genutzt. Dabei werden die Polymermoleküle nach einem speziellen Mechanismus im Hochspannungsfeld unter Normaldruckbedingungen vereinzelt und in das Massenspektrometer überführt. Dieser Prozeß kann auch zur flächigen Abscheidung einzelner Polymermoleküle genutzt werden. Die Struktur und Zusammensetzung sowie die Molmassenverteilung der Polymere bleiben dabei erhalten. Schichten polarer oder ionischer Polymere der Dicke einer Quasi-Monolage bis hin zu mehreren 100 Nanometern können abgeschieden werden. Erwähnenswert ist, daß der ESI-Prozeß zu den elektrophoretischen Verfahren gehört, was die Ausbildung lochfreier Schichten auf elektrisch leitenden Substraten nicht nur auf der der Spraydüse zugewandten Seite ermöglicht, sondern auch auf der abgeschatteten Rückseite. Dieses Verhalten wurde zur vollständigen ESI-Umhüllung von dichtgepackten Kohlenstoff-Faser-Bündeln mit haftvermittelnden Polymerschichten ausgenutzt.
1Brominated carbon nanotubes as effective catalysts for petroleum hydrocarbons aerobic oxidation
(2012)
Brominated single-walled carbon nanotubes [(Br)n-SWCNT) produced by the plasma-chemical technique were involved in the liquid-phase process of hydrocarbons aerobic oxidation. The significant catalytic effect of the (Br)n-SWCNT was revealed at first by the cumene initiated model oxidation and then in experiments on profound aerobic oxidation of petroleum naphthenic fraction derived from the commercial Azerbaijan (Baku) oils blend diesel cut. The ability of (Br)n-SWCNT to accelerate the aerobic oxidation of the hydrocarbons was found out for the first time. Obviously this phenomenon originates from the peculiarities of electronic configuration of the (Br)n-CNT patterns. The plausible mechanism of (Br)n-SWCNT catalytic action is inclined to the formation of reactive oxygen species. The catalytic activity of (Br)n-SWCNT markedly exceeds the activity of the industrial catalysts, manganese salt of indigenous petroleum acids, used for the liquid phase petroleum hydrocarbons oxidation process.