Plasma treatment functionalization

Negative TOF-SIMS speetra of PMDA/ODA polyimide before and after plasma treatment are shown in Fig. 53. The speetra generally show inereas-ing fragmentation as a function of plasma treatment time. This tendency was especially evident for the peak at m/z = 215 (PMDA + H ). 

Some physical techniques can be classified into flame treatments, corona treatments, cold plasma treatments, ultraviolet (UV) treatment, laser treatments, x-ray treatments, electron-beam treatments, ion-beam treatments, and metallization and sputtering, in which corona, plasma, and laser treatments are the most commonly used methods to modify silicone polymers. In the presence of oxygen, high-energy-photon treatment induces the formation of radical sites at surfaces these sites then react with atmospheric oxygen forming oxygenated functions. 

Fig. 5.21. Surface amine concenlralion (O) of aramid fiber and ILSS ( ) of epoxy matrix composites as a function of ammonia plasma treatment time. After Brown et al. (1991).

Plasma treatment is useful to activate the surface of a certain material. The treatment enhances the adhesion property. Basically, surface activation effects the introduction of chemical functionalities on the polymer surface in order to increase its surface energy. 

The modification of the chemical composition of polymer surfaces, and thus their wettability with chemical substances, can be realized in different ways electric discharges more commonly called Corona effect, oxidation by a flame, plasma treatment, UV irradiation and also UV irradiation under ozone atmosphere. Numerous studies have been devoted to the effects of these different treatments. More recently, Strobel et al. [204] compared the effects of these treatments on polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate using analytical methods such as E.S.C.A., F.T.I.R., and contact angle measurements. They demonstrated that a flame oxidizes polymers only superficially (2-3 nm) whereas treatment realized by plasma effect or Corona effect permits one to work deeply in the polymer (10 nm). The combination of UV irradiation with ozone flux modifies the chemical composition of the polymers to a depth much greater than 10 nm, introducing oxygenated functions into the core of the polymer. 

Cell adhesion on a nonfunctional scaffold is mediated dominantly by nonspecific, entropically favored adsorption of a layer of cell adhesion proteins, excreted by the cell itself [61]. In order to obtain and retain the native function of these proteins, attempts are being made to tune the hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the scaffold surfaces [62], Different methods of surface activation are commonly applied, e.g., blending, copolymerization, plasma treatment, etching, radiation, chemical surface modification, coatings, and combinations of those. 

Bromination. Bromination of polymer surface employing the bromoform plasma presents a highly selective method of controlled surface functionalization. Only traces of Br anions were detected as negligible side-products by means of XPS and, under adverse conditions, the deposition of polymer layers was observed as measured with a microbalance. The XPS measured introduction of Br at polymer surfaces for two types of plasma treatment is illustrated in Fig. 4. 

Tseng et al. (51) reported the epoxy nanocomposites in which the nanotubes were functionalized by maleic anhydride by using plasma treatment. The thermal decomposition temperature was reported to increase with increasing the extent of the nanotubes in the composites as shown in Figure 2.16a. Untreated nanotubes were also used to reinforce the polymer and the increase in the decomposition temperature was also observed in this system as a function of filler content, but the enhancement was more significant using the functionalized nanotubes. This was attributed to... 

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