The surface properties of composite films are important to know for many applications from the industrial domain to the medical domain. The physical and chemical characteristics of film/membrane surfaces are totally different from those of the bulk due to the surface segregation of the low surface energy components. Thus, the surfaces of cellulose acetate/silica composite films are analyzed in order to obtain information on the morphology, topography and wettability through atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle investigations. The studied composite films present different surface properties depending on the tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) content from the casting solutions. Up to a content of 1.5 wt.% TEOS, the surface roughness and hydrophobicity increase, after which there is a decrease in these parameters. This behavior suggests that up to a critical amount of TEOS, the results are influenced by the morphology and topographical features, after which a major role seems to be played by surface chemistry—increasing the oxygenation surfaces. The morphological and chemical details and also the hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity characteristics are discussed in the attempt to design biological surfaces with optimal wettability properties and possibility of application in tissue engineering.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.