Homofunctionalized polymer surfaces formed by selective plasma processes

Several possibilities exist to produce a modified polymer surface with a high density of only one sort of functional group such as: (i) the plasma grafting of unfragmented monomer molecules and their polymerization forms OH, NH2, COOH groups, etc. in concentrations of approximately 25 groups per 100 C atoms; (ii) selective plasma bromination provides 10–25 CBr groups; (iii) the plasma oxidation of polymer surfaces in an O2 plasma followed by the chemical reduction of all O-containing groups to OH groups by diborane, vitride™ (Na complex) or LiAlH4 yields 9–14 OH groups per 100 carbon atoms; and (iv) the grafting of spacers with different endgroups onto OH or CBr groups produces 7–10 spacer molecules/100 C. This work was focused on the formation of thin plasma deposited polymer layers with a maximum of (homo)functional groups and with a minimum of chemical irregularities using the pulsed plasma technique. The monomers were allylalcohol, allylamine, acrylonitrile and acrylic acid. The further intent was to study the interactions of functional groups (OH, COOH, NH2) and deposited metals (Cr, Al, Ti). It was expected that more basic (NH2), weakly basic or neutral (OH) or more acidic (COOH) groups would show different interactions and chemical reactions with metal atoms.