Physicochemical properties of a plasma-exposed glass surface in a closed system. Mechanistic inter-relation between plasma-state polymerization and plasma-initiated polymerization

Abstract

Physicochemical properties of a plasma-exposed glass surface under plasma conditions similar to those in plasma-initiated polymerization (brief plasma generation in a closed system) were investigated by SEM, X.p.s., wettability and electric conductivity measurements in order to elucidate how long-lived organic radicals can be trapped on such a glass surface.

It was found that an invisible ultrathin polymer film was deposited on such a glass surface in the case of organic plasma exposure even under the above plasma conditions, although the physicochemical properties of the polymer film vary with the compounds submitted to plasma generation, and is largely different from those formed in the plasma-state polymerization.

It has been suggested that the film can serve as an efficient host matrix for a variety of organic radicals which can be released under appropriate conditions so as to initiate the polymerization of various vinyl monomers.