Modification, degradation, and stability of polymeric surfaces treated with reactive plasmas

Coating processes for plastic optics

“…Plasma-polymer interactions have been investigated intensively during the last 20 years to understand plasma activation of polymers and plasma-induced degradation [4][5][6]. Low-pressure plasma conditions may cause the breaking of some bonds as well as initiate extensive material loss (etching).…”

Photopatterning in poly-l-lysine thin films using UV-enhanced hydrophilicity

“…We hypothesize that the UV-activated adsorption observed here is due to hydrophilicity of smaller, more polar products of photodissociation. There are several studies showing increased hydrophilicity of polymers by UV light in the presence of oxygen to produce highly polar surface groups [2][3][4][5][6][7]. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no known investigation of UV photolysis of poly-amino acids under inert ambient conditions.…”

“…Photopatterning of PMMA and polycarbonate substrates was shown [5] to result in a monolayer of carboxylic acid groups and enhanced wettability/hydrophilicity of the substrate. Increased hydrophilicity is believed to be due to photodissociation in the presence of atmospheric oxidation to produce highly polar surface groups such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxylic acids [4][5][6][7]. Increased hydrophilicity in several polymer substrates has also been achieved recently by a plasma-initiated patterning technique in oxygen atmosphere [8].…”

Effect of absorbed moisture on the atmospheric plasma etching of polyamide fibers

“…The predominant active species in radio frequency plasma are positive ions and photons, with ability of breaking primary chemical bonds and inducing cross-linking [26,27]. The extent of degradation in plasma etching is closely correlated to the chemical structure of the polymer at a given plasma working condition [5,[28][29][30][31][32]. It was reported that polymeric structures containing oxygen were more susceptible to plasma while polymers with high crystal and stable structures were more resistant to oxidation and etching [30,32].…”

“…The extent of degradation in plasma etching is closely correlated to the chemical structure of the polymer at a given plasma working condition [5,[28][29][30][31][32]. It was reported that polymeric structures containing oxygen were more susceptible to plasma while polymers with high crystal and stable structures were more resistant to oxidation and etching [30,32]. However, little has been reported in literature on the influence of absorbed moisture in polymeric materials on the etching of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, partially because this has not been a problem in the traditional plasma surface modification in vacuum.…”