| AVS 56th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Applied Surface Science | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session AS-TuP |
| Session: | Applied Surface Science Poster Session |
| Presenter: | Y.J. Kim, Kyoto University, Japan |
| Authors: | Y.J. Kim, Kyoto University, Japan H. Sugimura, Kyoto University, Japan K. Murase, Kyoto University, Japan Y. Taniguchi, Alps Electric, Japan Y. Taguchi, Alps Electric, Japan |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
In recent years, cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) resins have been used in a variety of applications owing to their excellent properties and low cost, and the market for cop resins is growing every year[1]. For improvement in adhesivity, dyeability, and wettability, extensive research to develop practical and economical methods for the surface modification of COP has been carried out by many groups. In particularly, wettability and adhesion are critical design features for many commercial products. For this purpose, corona discharge treatment, plasma etching, ultraviolet irradiation, and chemical solution etching have been employed. Although it is desirable to provide addition functions to polymer surfaces, it is also important to do so without affecting their bulk characteristics, such as mechanical, thermal, and other intrinsic properties. Ultraviolet irradiation should be the best method in this respect, since ultraviolet irradiation interacts only with the polymer surface and does not penetrate into the centre of the material. This study sought to photochemically convert the surface of COP into a hydrophilic surface consisting of oxygen functional groups such as C–O, C=O, and COO components by simple irradiation with a vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) light of 172 nm wavelength in the presence of atmospheric oxygen molecules. We found that this hydrophilic surface served as a base for the formation of adhesive chemical bonds at the interface to improve the wettability and adhesion properties. We have optimized the VUV photochemical conversion conditions for the COP surface[2].
In this study, we report how different the chemical nature of COP surfaces irradiated with the VUV light is, dependent on the VUV-irradiation atmosphere. The extent of oxygenation was evaluated by XPS and FTIR-ATR spectra, and it was shown that the surface properties, hydrophilicity, and functionalization were crucially dependent on the VUV irradiation atmosphere. Roles of oxygen, nitrogen and water molecules in the VUV-irradiation environment on the surface modification have been elucidated.
References [1] M. Yamazaki, J. Mol. Catal. A: Chem. 213, 81 (2004) [2] Y. J. Kim et al., Applied Surface Science 255, 3648 (2009)