The chemistry of deposits formed from acrylic acid plasmas

Abstract

SIMS and XPS were used to characterise the chemistry of thin plasma polymerised acrylic acid films (ppAAc), and to determine how this was influenced by plasma power. Quartz microbalance weight measurements were used to monitor the effect of power on the deposition rate and identify the uptake of water vapour by the films upon exposure to the atmosphere. Functional group derivatisation and XPS were used to quantify the proportion of carboxylic acid and ester functionalities. Derivatisation revealed that the level of retention in the deposit could be controlled by the plasma deposition power (P) up to a maximum of 66% at P=2 W. TOF SIMS analysis identified the presence of linear structures with up to five monomer units in the high retention deposit. The role of such structures in functional retention is discussed with reference to mass spectrometry data in the literature.

References

1. Plasma Polymerisation, ed. H. K. Yasuda, Academic Press, London, 1985.
2. Plasma Deposition, Treatment and Etching of Polymers, ed. R. d'Agostino, Academic Press, London, 1990.
3. E. S. Lopata and J. S. Nakanishi of The BOC Group Inc. Process for plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition of anti-fog and anti-scratch coatings onto various substrates U.S. Pat. No 5 487 920, 30th Jan. 1996.
4. Y. Novis, M. Chtaïb, R. Caudano, P. Lutgen and G. Feyder, Brit. Polym. J., 1989, 21, 171.
5. D. L. Cho, P. M. Claesson, C.-G. Gölander and K. Johansson, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 1990, 41, 1373.
6. T. J. Lin, B. H. Chun, H. K. Yasuda, D. J. Yang and J. A. Antonelli, J. Adhesion Sci. Technol., 1991, 5, 893.
7. T.-M. Ko and S. L. Cooper, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 1993, 47, 1601.
8. A. P. Ameen, R. D. Short and R. J. Ward, Polymer, 1994, 35, 4382.
9. A. J. Ward and R. D. Short, Surf. Interfac. Anal., 1994, 22, 477.
10. L. O'Toole, A. J. Beck, A. P. Ameen, F. R. Jones and R. D. Short, J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans., 1995, 91, 3907.
11. A. J. Beck, F. R. Jones and R. D. Short, Polymer, 1996, 37, 5537.
12. A. P. Kettle, A. J. Beck, L. O'Toole, F. R. Jones and R. D. Short, Composites Science and Technology, 1997, 57, 1023.
13. A. P. Kettle, F. R. Jones, M. R. Alexander, R. D. Short, W. Wu, I. Verpoest and M. Stollenwerk, Composites Part A, 1997, 29, 241.
14. S. Tanuma, C. J. Powell and D. R. Penn, Surf. Interfac. Anal., 1991, 17, 911.
15. Beamson and Briggs, High Resolution XPS of Organic Polymers—The Scienta ESCA300 Database, Wiley, Chichester, 1992.
16. Chilkoti, B. D. Ratner and D. Briggs, Chem. Mater., 1991, 3, 51.
17. M. R. Alexander, P. V. Wright and B. D. Ratner, Surf. Interfac. Anal., 1996, 24, 217.
18. D. G. Castner and B. D. Ratner, Surf. Interfac. Anal., 1990, 15, 479.
19. Spectrum of poly(acrylic acid) in preparation for submission to The Static SIMS Library, Surface Spectra Ltd., Manchester, 1998 ed. J. C. Vickerman, D. Briggs and A. Henderson.
20. A. M. Leeson, M. R. Alexander, R. D. Short, D. Briggs and M. J. Hearn, Surf. Interfac. Anal., 1997, 25, 361.
21. M. R. Alexander, R. D. Short and F. R. Jones, RF HMDSO plasma deposition: A comparison of plasma- and deposit-chemistry, Plasmas and Polymers, in press, 1997.
22. L. O'Toole and R. D. Short, J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans., 1997, 93, 1174 and the references cited therein.
23. R. F. France and R. D. Short, Polym. Degrad. Stability, 1994, 45, 339.
24. J. F. Watts, Surf. Interfac. Anal., 1988, 12, 497.