Fast Surface Hydrophilization via Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerization for Biological and Technical Applications

Abstract

Polymeric surfaces can benefit from functional modifications prior to using them for biological and/or technical applications. Surfaces considered for biocompatibility studies can be modified to gain beneficiary hydrophilic properties. For such modifications, the preparation of highly hydrophilic surfaces by means of plasma polymerization can be a good alternative to classical wet chemistry or plasma activation in simple atomic or molecular gasses. Atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization makes possible rapid, simple, and time-stable hydrophilic surface preparation, regardless of the type and properties of the material whose surface is to be modified. In this work, the surface of polypropylene was coated with a thin nanolayer of plasma-polymer which was prepared from a low-concentration mixture of propane-butane in nitrogen using atmospheric pressure plasma. A deposition time of only 1 second was necessary to achieve satisfactory hydrophilic properties. Highly hydrophilic, stable surfaces were obtained when the deposition time was 10 seconds. The thin layers of the prepared plasma-polymer exhibit highly stable wetting properties, they are smooth, homogeneous, flexible, and have good adhesion to the surface of polypropylene substrates. Moreover, they are constituted from essential elements only (C, H, N, O). This makes the presented modified plasma-polymer surfaces interesting for further studies in biological and/or technical applications.

Sustainable improvement of seeds vigor using dry atmospheric plasma priming: Evidence through coating wettability, water uptake, and plasma reactive chemistry

“…Values close to 5.9 10 11 cm -3 are estimated in the pure helium case while a gradual decrease is obtained with values as low as 2.1 10 10 cm -3 when 150 sccm of O2 is admixed with helium. Such trend is consistent with the works of Xiao et al [54]. The reaction {31} can be considered as responsible for such trend since the superoxide anion results from the addition of an electron which fills one of the two degenerate molecular orbitals of O2, leaving a charged ionic species with a single unpaired electron and a net negative charge of −1.…”

A Review of Plasma Synthesis Methods for Polymer Films and Nanoparticles under Atmospheric Pressure Conditions

“…Materials in a gaseous state at room temperature are themselves applied as precursors, whereas materials that exist as liquids are mainly introduced to a plasma region as an aerosol via atomizing or bubbling with gas. GATP methods are commonly used for the deposition of polymer films [ 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ], as this method allows in-line processing by moving either the APP devices or the substrates [ 39 ].…”

Ethanol treatment of nanoPGA/PCL composite scaffolds enhances human chondrocyte development in the cellular microenvironment of tissue-engineered auricle constructs

“…The preference and attachment by cells to hydrophilic surfaces having accessible hydrogen groups has been recognized for many years and the bioresorbable or biodegradable polymers commonly utilized in tissue engineering have centered on this knowledge [44]. The high degree of hydrophobicity with limited available hydrogens characterizing most slowly resorbing polymers inhibits cell adherence, an effect that requires modification of their surface with a protein coating of fibronectin or collagen, for example, plasma polymerization or use of porogens to promote hydrophilicity and cell attachment [45][46][47]. Hydrophilization or prewetting polymers with ethanol has been used routinely to increase polymer hydrophilicity.…”