| AVS 55th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session PS-TuP |
| Session: | Plasma Science Poster Session |
| Presenter: | B. Nisol, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium |
| Authors: | D. Merche, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium B. Nisol, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium C. Poleunis, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium P. Bertrand, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium F. Reniers, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The deposition and characterization of polystyrene (PS)-like and polyethyleneglycol (PEG)-like on a variety of substrates was investigated using “plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition” (PECVD) under atmospheric pressure. For both PS and PEG-like deposits, an atmospheric RF plasma torch (Atomflo® 250C SurfX) was used, which consists of two closely metallic electrodes that are perforated to allow the process gas (Ar) to flow through. The precursors (styrene vapour or tetraglyme droplets) were introduced into the plasma downstream to the electrodes (remote plasma). Thin films of polystyrene were also synthesized in a home-built dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), in remote and direct HF plasma. Precursor vapours (styrene) are carried out by Ar or He. PEG-like films are also obtained at low pressure, in a capacitively coupled RF discharge obtained in a cylindrical Pyrex system. PEG-like films are known for their non-fouling property, which is an important feature for many biomedical applications. XPS and SSIMS were useful in order to ensure that the precursor for PEG like films are not too strongly fragmented by plasma treatment, in which case the protein-repelling property of the samples would be compromised. XPS permits to determine the C/O of PEG-like. The non-fouling properties of those samples have been studied with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) adsorption. XPS was used to track the presence of proteins on the surface by using the N1s signal coming out from the protein. pp-PS films deposited on PTFE were characterized by XPS. Spectra show a significant change in C1s energy value (towards lower binding energies) in comparison with untreated PTFE. We can also observe an important amount of oxygen, indicating a strong oxygen functionnalization into the film. Consequently, the pp-PS are more hydrophilic (water contact angle) in comparison to conventional PS. The influences of the parameters and the plasma source on the FTIR spectra (IRRAS) of plasma polymers deposited on steel (pp-PS) and on gold surface (PEG-like) was investigated. FTIR on pp-PS shows a decrease of the aromaticity, and that the films are branched, cross-linked and contain hydroxyl groups. The morphology of pp-PS films were evaluated by optical microscopy.