Plasma fluorination of polystyrene

Abstract

AbstractESCA and contact‐angle measurements were used to characterize the surfaces of polystyrene films exposed to SF6, CF4, and C2F6 plasmas. SF6 plasmas cause loss of aromaticity in the polystyrene surface region via saturation of the phenyl ring and/or carbon‐bond breakage and subsequent fluorination. C2F6 plasmas graft CFx radicals directly to the polystyrene surface without necessarily destroying the aromaticity of the polymer. CF4 plasmas appear to be intermediate in character between SF6 and C2F6 plasmas.