Surface modification of PMMA polymer and its composites with PC61BM fullerene derivative using an atmospheric pressure microwave argon plasma sheet

Andrzej Sikora,Bartosz Hrycak,Mirosław Dors,Magdalena Moczała-Dusanowska,Mariusz Jasiński,Dariusz Czylkowski,Marcin Łapiński

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-88553-5

Abstract

This paper presents the results of experimental investigations of the plasma surface modification of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer and PMMA composites with a [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester fullerene derivative (PC61BM). An atmospheric pressure microwave (2.45 GHz) argon plasma sheet was used. The experimental parameters were: an argon (Ar) flow rate (up to 20 NL/min), microwave power (up to 530 W), number of plasma scans (up to 3) and, the kind of treated material. In order to assess the plasma effect, the possible changes in the wettability, roughness, chemical composition, and mechanical properties of the plasma-treated samples’ surfaces were evaluated by water contact angle goniometry (WCA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The best result concerning the water contact angle reduction was from 83° to 29.7° for the PMMA material. The ageing studies of the PMMA plasma-modified surface showed long term (100 h) improved wettability. As a result of plasma treating, changes in the samples surface roughness parameters were observed, however their dependence on the number of plasma scans is irregular. The ATR-FTIR spectra of the PMMA plasma-treated surfaces showed only slight changes in comparison with the spectra of an untreated sample. The more significant differences were demonstrated by XPS measurements indicating the surface chemical composition changes after plasma treatment and revealing the oxygen to carbon ratio increase from 0.1 to 0.4.

Highlights

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) of a chemical formula of (C5O2H8)n is a synthetic acrylic polymer based on a methyl methacrylate monomer
With the issues raised in the introduction in mind, the aim of this paper is to present the experimental results of studies that focus on changes caused by the surface treatment of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer and its composites with a PC61BM fullerene derivative
An atmospheric pressure microwave (2.45 GHz) argon plasma source was used to modify the surface of the PMMA polymer, and PMMA + P C61BM composite materials

Summary

Introduction

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) of a chemical formula of (C5O2H8)n is a synthetic acrylic polymer based on a methyl methacrylate monomer. There is a lack of knowledge (or it is insufficient) about changes of the hydrophilic-hydrophobic and mechanical and morphological properties of samples of plasma-treated PMMA composites with fullerenes. With the issues raised in the introduction in mind, the aim of this paper is to present the experimental results of studies that focus on changes caused by the surface treatment of PMMA polymer and its composites with a PC61BM fullerene derivative. The purpose of this work is to assess the effect of the plasma on the wettability, roughness, chemical composition, and mechanical characteristics of the plasma treated samples’ surfaces by using water contact angle goniometry (WCA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR)

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Conclusion