Plasma pretreatment of polycarbonate substrates for indium zinc oxide film deposition

The influence of plasma treatment of polycarbonate (PC) substrates on the morphological, electrical, and adhesion properties of deposited amorphous transparent indium zinc oxide (IZO) by direct current magnetron sputtering was investigated by analyzing atomic force microscopy, contact angles, Hall, and nano‐scratch measurements. The surfaces of PC substrates were performed by plasma treatment at various processing times in Ar/O₂ mix atmosphere. The atomic force microscopy images indicated that the microstructure of the substrates considerably influenced the surface morphology of deposited IZO films, and the least surface roughness of IZO was obtained after 5‐s plasma treatment. The IZO film deposited on PC with 5‐s plasma treatment presented an improved electrical conductivity and thermal stability after annealing at 120 °C in air, whereas the significant decrease in carrier concentration and increase in resistivity with extending plasma treatment time were observed, which was attributed to the elevated oxygen adsorption during annealing for a loosely packed structure. Moreover, the adhesion properties of IZO films with PC substrates decreased after 30‐s plasma treatment because of the significant difference on the surface polarity between the PC and thin films and the increased roughness caused by plasma etching. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Autoinflammation et stabilite thermique de la poly(vinyl 4 pyridine) quaternisee—III: Autoinflammation du bromure de poly(N(oxo 3 butyl) vinyl 4 pyridinium)

The self-ignition of quaternized poly(4 vinyl pyridines) (P4VP) has been studied for three series of compounds prepared by reaction of vinyl methyl ketone (VMC) with P4VP quaternized by HBr. The self-ignition temperatures (θ_s,i) have been determined in air at atmospheric pressure as a function of the bromine and VMC concentrations. The results are similar to those for P4VP quaternized by bromoalkanes. They exhibit in particular a dependence of θ_s,i on Br content. The general shape of the self-ignition curves is qualitatively explained on the basis of a competing mechanism involving radicals and molecular brominated species in the gaseous phase. Such species have been identified by mass spectrometry, performed during the thermal decomposition of these compounds under N₂. Addition of the bromide derivatives to VMC evolved during the pyrolysis is also suggested.     

Microscopic study of ultra-thin gold layers on polyethyleneterephthalate

Continuous and discontinuous gold layers sputtered on polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by reflection of microwave radiation. The changes in the surface morphology of the continuous and discontinuous gold layers as a function of the sputtering time were clearly observed by AFM technique. SEM imaging of very thin gold layers was adversely affected by specimen charging. For medium sputtering times, when a continuous gold coverage is already formed, the SEM technique still show the presence of regions with very thin gold coverage which gradually disappear at longer sputtering times. Both, the AFM and SEM techniques confirmed that in the course of the gold deposition the initially small gold clusters grow and finally associate in a continuous layer. It was shown that the sub-microne metallic structures could be modeled by artificial, significantly larger structures prepared on PET by lithographic etching.     

Adsorption of some functionalized aliphatic compounds on plasma-grown thin-film aluminium and magnesium oxides

A study of the inelastic electron tunnelling (IET) spectra of N,N-diethyl-1,2-diaminoethane, N,N′-diethyl-1,2-diaminoethane, N,N′-dimethyl-1,2-diaminoethane, N,N,N′,N′-tetraethyl-1,2-diamino-ethane and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,2-diaminoethane, shows all five systems to form five-membered chelate structures with both nitrogen atoms present in the adsorbate acting as Lewis donors at the same cation on either aluminium oxide or magnesium oxide. The IET spectra for the N-ethyl-2-aminoethanol, N,N-diethyl-2-aminoethanol and N,N-dimethyl-2-aminoethanol also examined indicate that similar alkoxy-amino chelated structures are formed with these adsorbates. For the aminoethanols adsorption—chelation appears to involve adsorbate deprotonation and hydroxyl depletion of the oxide surfaces involved with concomitant binding of the nitrogen atom present to the surface metal ion involved in alkoxide formation.     

Effect of oxygen plasma treatment and gold sputtering on morphological and local mechanical properties of copolyimide/gold micropatterned structures

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to analyze rectangular 3‐dimensional patterned microstructures with different functionalities induced on copolyimide containing alicyclic sequences film surfaces by means of oxygen plasma treatment. The plasma power was ranged to be big enough to accelerate the plasma species towards the copolyimide surface, and the exposure time was not very small to generate a roughness that still can be monitored by AFM. To create the rectangular pattern, transmission electron microscopy grid masks were placed on the samples before treatment. Plasma‐induced micropatterning with alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface chemistries was evaluated by measuring the adhesion forces between the gold‐covered AFM tip and the copolyimide surfaces. To fabricate 3‐dimensional metallic microstructures arranged in well‐defined areas, thin metal layers were sputtered on these pretreated copolyimide films. The AFM morphological aspects of the obtained metallic structures were correlated with the surface modifications induced by plasma treatment conditions. Functional indexes and functional volume parameters were also calculate to characterize the functional behavior of the surface, such as wear, lubrication, and contact. The AFM data were compared with those obtained using the small‐angle X‐ray scattering measurements.     

Plasma Surface Modification of Fluoropolymers Studied by ToF-SIMS

Surface modification by plasma treatment is an efficient way of improving metal adhesion to polymers. Here, Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is used to characterize the surfaces of Teflon PFA and Teflon AF1600 films, following plasma treatments in H₂, O₂ and N₂ gases. This work is complementary to our previous study using XPS, and is particularly directed toward the identification of incorporated hydrocarbons which could seriously affect metal adhesion. Plasma treatments strongly modify the surfaces of fluoropolymers, causing the ablation of a part of the fluorocarbon structure, with H₂ being the most effective gas. The hydrocarbon content of such surfaces is not negligible, and a comparison with hydrocarbon levels on untreated surfaces suggests that a substantial fraction of this material was incorporated on plasma treatment; this is particularly so in the case of H₂ plasma treatment. Due to expected strong matrix effects caused by significant changes in surface chemistry and structure following the various plasma treatments, the use of SIMS absolute intensity values is discussed in terms of data treatment artifacts. Moreover, due to the differences in secondary ion yields between characteristic hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon SIMS peaks, the use of peaks normalized to the total intensity is also impractical. Here, positive mode absolute intensities and negative mode peak intensity values, when normalized to I_tot - I(H^–) - I(F^–), give valuable information, as in the comparison of hydrocarbon and N incorporations.     

Dielectric relaxation and AC conductivity of modified polysulfones with chelating groups

The frequency-dependent dielectric properties and conductivity of partially quaternized polysulfones, quaternized polysulfones containing chelating groups, and chelated quaternized polysulfones with Cu²⁺ have been studied. The permittivity has low values and is dependent on the chemical characteristic of samples, in relation with the charge transfer complex and free volume and, consequently, with packing of the polymer chains and of the polarizable groups per volume units. At temperatures below 150 °C, all polysulfone films develop two relaxation processes, i.e., γ and β relaxation, involving different enthalpy and entropy contributions induced by their chemical structures. Frequency–temperature-dependent conductivity showed that conductivity increased with frequency, while the values of thermal activation energy of electrical conduction, lower that 1, suggest that a model based on energy bandgap representation could be suitable for explaining the temperature influence on AC conductivity for all samples. In addition, enhancement of mobility of the charge carrier upon complexation was observed for chelated quaternized polysulfones with Cu²⁺. All these typical semiconducting properties recommend the studied polymers as potential candidates for use in various applications in electrotechnical industry.     

PMMA Surface Functionalization Using Atmospheric Pressure Plasma for Development of Plasmonically Active Polymer Optical Fiber Probes

In this paper, we demonstrate the development of plasmonically active PMMA optical fiber probes by the attachment of gold nanoparticles to the probe surface functionalized by means of flowing post-discharges from dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasmas for the first time. Polymer optical fiber (POF) probes (U shape to improve absorbance sensitivity) were subjected to reactive gas atmospheres in the post-discharge region of a coaxial DBD plasma reactor run at atmospheric pressure in different gases (Ar, Ar + 10 % O₂, O₂, N₂, N₂ + 0.5 % H₂). Plasma treatments in Ar or N₂ gave rise to water-stable electrophilic functional groups on PMMA surface, whereas the amine groups generated by N₂-containing plasmas were not stable. Subsequently, PMMA surfaces were treated with hexamethylene diamine (HMDA) to obtain stable amine groups through the reaction of electrophilic groups. Gold nanoflowers (AuNF, 37 nm, peak 570 nm) binding to the amine functionalized fiber probes was monitored in real-time by recording the optical absorbance changes at 570 nm with the help of a UV–vis spectrometer. Absorbance response from Ar or N₂ plasma treated probes are 100 and 60 times, respectively, that of untreated control probes. A 25 fold improvement in absorbance response was obtained for Ar plasma treated POF in comparison with only HMDA treated POF. The shelf life of the hence fabricated plasmonically active probes was found to be at least 3 months. In addition, plasmonic activity of U-bent fiber probes treated in Ar plasma is better than the conventional wet-chemical activation by environmentally hazardous acid pre-treatment approaches.     

Visualization of red-ox proteins on the gold surface using enzymatic polypyrrole formation

We describe a new method for the visualization of the activity of red-ox proteins on a gold interface. Glucose oxidase was selected as a model system. Surfaces were modified by adhesion of glucose oxidase on (a) electrochemically cleaned gold; (b) gold films modified with gold nanoparticles, (c) a gold surface modified with self-assembled monolayer, and (d) covalent immobilization of protein on the gold surface modified with a self-assembled monolayer. The simple optical method for the visualization of enzyme on the surfaces is based on the enzymatic formation of polypyrrole. The activity of the enzyme was quantified via enzymatic formation of polypyrrole, which was detected and investigated by quartz microbalance and amperometric techniques. The experimental data suggest that the enzymatic formation of the polymer may serve as a method to indicate the adhesion of active redox enzyme on such surfaces.

Synthesis,crystal structures and photoluminescence of 7-(N,N′-diethylamino)-3-phenylcoumarin derivatives

Two new coumarin derivatives, 7-(N,N′-diethylamino)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-coumarin and 7-(N,N′-diethylamino)-3-(4-bromophenyl)-coumarin, were synthesized successfully. Their structures were verified by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The UV–vis absorption and fluorescence of the compounds were discussed. The compounds exhibit strong blue emission under ultraviolet light excitation. The molecular structures, the lowest energy transitions and the UV–vis spectra of 7-(N,N′-diethylamino)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-coumarin and 7-(N,N′-diethylamino)-3-(4-bromophenyl)-coumarin have been studied with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) at B3LYP/6-31G(d) level.     

Copper-catalyzed amination of aromatic halides with 2-N,N-dimethylaminoethanol as solvent

A copper-catalyzed amination of aromatic halides under mild conditions using N,N-dimethylaminoethanol as solvent is described. We have studied this reaction in some detail varying the copper source, base, water content and other parameters including the scope of useful amine and aromatic halide structures. A variety of 4-halo-N,N-cycloalkylanilines and 2-N,N-cycloalkylaminothiophenes were synthesized for further elaboration into chromophores for optoelectronic applications.     

Interaction forces measured using AFM between colloids and surfaces coated with both dextran and protein

Both proteins and polysaccharides are biopolymers present on a bacterial surface that can simultaneously affect bacterial adhesion. To better understand how the combined presence of proteins and polysaccharides might influence bacterial attachment, adhesion forces were examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) between colloids (COOH- or protein-coated) and polymer-coated surfaces (BSA, lysozyme, dextran, BSA+dextran and lysozyme+dextran) as a function of residence time and ionic strength. Protein and dextran were competitively covalently bonded onto glass surfaces, forming a coating that was 22-33% protein and 68-77% dextran. Topographic and phase images of polymer-coated surfaces obtained with tapping mode AFM indicated that proteins at short residence times (<1 s) were shielded by dextran. Adhesion forces measured between colloid and polymer-coated surfaces at short residence times increased in the order protein+dextran < or = protein < dextran. However, the adhesion forces for protein+dextran-coated surface substantially increased with longer residence times, producing the largest adhesion forces between polymer coated surfaces and the colloid over the longest residence times (50-100 s). It was speculated that with longer interaction times the proteins extended out from beneath the dextran and interacted with the colloid, leading to a molecular rearrangement that increased the overall adhesion force. These results show the importance of examining the effect of the combined adhesion force with two different types of biopolymers present and how the time of interaction affects the magnitude of the force obtained with two-polymer-coated surfaces.     

Chromium retention properties of N-alkyl quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine)

The ability of solid N-alkyl quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) with hexyl, octyl and decyl bromide for the retention of chromate and dichromate forms of Cr(VI) in aqueous solutions is studied. The retention of Cr(VI) was investigated by batch equilibrium procedure and this study was supported by UV-vis spectrophotometry, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and thermal analysis (glass transition temperature and thermal degradation). The retention of Cr(VI) was possible in the range of concentrations between 1 × 10⁻⁶ and 1 × 10⁻³ mol/L and it was dependent on the length of the polyelectrolyte side aliphatic chain. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that solid phase, (N-alkyl quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine), with Cr(VI) (P4VPyC8-Cr(VI)) is slightly more stable than P4VPyC8 in absence of Cr(VI). Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) measurements indicate that the segmental movements are restricted due to the presence of chromate and/or dichromate ions in the solid phase.     

Synthesis of Rh(I) and Ir(I) complexes with chiral C2-multitopic ligands: Structural and catalytic properties

Four multitopic ligands, N,N′-bis[(S)-prolyl)phenylenediamine, N,N′-bis{[(S)-pyrrolidin-2-yl]methyl}phenylenediamine, N,N′-bis[(S)-N-benzylprolyl]phenylenediamine, N,N′-bis{[(S)-N-benzyl-pyrrolidin-2-yl]methyl}phenylenediamine, were synthesised and their co-ordination properties with Rh(I) and Ir(I) studied. The complexes were prepared by the reaction of [MCl(cod)]₂ with AgPF₆ and further treatment with the ligand. All ligands form one to one [ML] species with the above metal ions. The structures of these complexes were elucidated by analytical and spectroscopic data (elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, IR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR). Complexes show excellent activities and enantioselectivities up to 30% for the hydrogenation of prochiral olefins under mild reaction conditions.     

Study of some properties of poly(N-vinyl imidazole) partially quaternized with n-butyl bromide aqueous solutions

This paper presents a study of the properties of aqueous solutions of poly(N-vinyl imidazole) quaternized with n-butyl bromide (PVIQ3). The influence of the temperature and polymer concentration on refractive index, electrical conductivity and surface tension was studied. The critical micelar concentration of PVIQ3 in aqueous solution was determined and correlated with the polymer solubility in water.All the PVIQ3 aqueous solutions properties were compared with those of poly(N-vinyl imidazole) (PNVI) and the influence of the quaternization process on the polymer properties was evidenced.     

Physicochemical Insight into Coordination Systems Obtained from Copper(II) Bromoacetate and 1,10-Phenanthroline

Two different coordination compounds of copper were synthesized from the same building blocks (1,10-phenanthroline, bromoacetate anions, and copper cations). The synthesis parameters were carefully designed and evaluated to allow the change of the resulting compounds molecular structure, i.e., formation of mononuclear (bromoacetato-O,O’)(bromoacetato-O)aqua(1,10-phenanthroline-N,N’)copper(II) and dinuclear (μ-bromido-1:2κ²)bis(μ-bromoacetato-1κO,2κO’)bis(1,10-phenanthroline-N,N’)dicopper(II) bromoacetate bromoacetic acid solvate. The crystal, molecular and supramolecular structures of the studied compounds were determined and evaluated in Hirshfeld analysis. The UV-Vis-IR absorption and thermal properties were studied and discussed. For the explicit determination of the influence of compounds structure on radiation absorption in UV-Vis range, density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations were performed.     

On the HSAB based estimate of charge transfer between adsorbates and metal surfaces

The applicability of the HSAB based electron charge transfer parameter, ΔN, is analyzed for molecular and atomic adsorbates on metal surfaces by means of explicit DFT calculations. For molecular adsorbates ΔN gives reasonable trends of charge transfer if work function is used for electronegativity of metal surface. For this reason, calculated work functions of low Miller index surfaces for 11 different metals are reported. As for reactive atomic adsorbates, e.g., N, O, and Cl, the charge transfer is proportional to the adatom valence times the electronegativity difference between the metal surface and the adatom, where the electronegativity of metal is represented by a linear combination of atomic Mulliken electronegativity and the work function of metal surface. It is further shown that the adatom-metal bond strength is linearly proportional to the metal-to-adatom charge transfer thus making the ΔN parameter a useful indicator to anticipate the corresponding adsorption energy trends.     

New dicationic derivatives of dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene: tuning DNA-binding properties

Four new water-soluble derivatives of dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene have been synthesized, bearing meso substituents with different structures and dimensions: 3-(N,N,N-trimethylammonium)propyl, 3-(N-pyridinium-1-yl)propyl, 2-[3-(N,N,N-trimethylammonium)propoxy]benzoyl, and 2-[3-(N-pyridinium-1-yl)propoxy]benzoyl. The crystal structures of 3-(trimethylammonium)propyl and (N,N,N-trimethylammonium)propoxy]benzoyl derivatives were determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. According to the UV-vis titrations, thermal denaturation experiments, and ethidium bromide displacement assays, all compounds presented here interact strongly with double stranded (ct)-DNA. The product equipped with 3-(trimethylammonium)propyl pendant groups and two positive charges interacts with DNA in one dominant binding mode, whereas the other three derivatives revealed more complex mixed-type interactions. The results have been discussed in terms of dimensions, geometry, and electronic properties of the evaluated compounds, on the basis of corresponding crystallographic data.     

Surface Properties of Low Density Polyethylene upon Low-Temperature Plasma Treatment with Various Gases

The surface of a LDPE was modified by Ar, O₂, N₂, CO₂ gaseous plasma. The changes in surface morphology and surface wettability were investigated using AFM and SEM. The surface chemical changes of LDPE were also characterized by FTIR-ATR. The SEM and AFM results demonstrated variable changes in surface roughness for different types of plasma gas used, the changes being more for the Ar and N₂ plasma treatments. Considering the nature of the LDPE film, XRD studies were carried out to determine changes in the percentage crystalinity. The results showed that all low pressure O₂, Ar, N₂, CO₂ gas plasmas improved the wettability of LDPE films. Contact angles decreased significantly depending on the discharge powers and exposure times. Surface morphology was also found to vary with plasma discharge powers, exposure times, and the type of gas being used. Ar and N₂ gas plasmas in general produced more superior results.     

Aerosol-Assisted Plasma Deposition of Hydrophobic Polycations Makes Surfaces Highly Antimicrobial

The currently used multistep chemical synthesis for making surfaces antimicrobial by attaching to them hydrophobic polycations is replaced herein by an aerosol-assisted plasma deposition procedure. To this end, N,N-hexyl,methyl-PEI (HMPEI) is directly plasma-coated onto a glass surface. The resultant immobilized HMPEI coating has been thoroughly characterized and shown to be robust, bactericidal against Escherichia coli, and virucidal against human influenza virus.