Surface Of Hybrid Films Research Articles

Preparation and characterization of polyimide/silica/silver composite films

Polyimide/silica/silver hybrid films were prepared by the sol-gel method combined with in situ single-stage self-metallization technique. The structure of polyimide films in the thermal curing process and the influence of silica content on the migration and aggregation of silver particles to the surface of hybrid films were investigated. The hybrid films were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy and mechanical measurements. The results indicated that there was no degradation of the polyimide matrix after the formation of silica and silver particles. Silica acted as the nucleus for the silver particles. With increasing silica content, more and more silver particles were kept in the hybrid films instead of being migrated onto the surface of the hybrid films and the reflections of hybrid films decreased gradually.

Effect of zirconium(IV) propoxide concentration on the thermophysical properties of hybrid organic-inorganic films

In this work, micrometer-thick organic-inorganic hybrid films are fabricated. A photothermal experiment is designed and conducted to characterize the thermophysical properties of hybrid films, as well as the thermal contact resistance between the film and substrate. The molecular cagelike or nanopores, which can strongly enhance the phonon scattering, are considered to be formed inside the films during fabrication. The first order estimation of the volume fraction of cavities and its effect on thermophysical properties are obtained. The effect of zirconium(IV) propoxide (ZPO) concentration on the thermophysical properties of hybrid films is also studied. The effective (measured) thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity of hybrid films are close to those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) films, and are not significantly affected by the added ZPO, which is used to adjust the optic properties of films. The extracted bulk thermal conductivity of the hybrid films is close or smaller than that of bulk PMMA, and shows certain thermal conductivity reduction by the ZPO addition. The thermal effusivity study indicates that the response of the surface temperature change to an abrupt heat flux across the surface of hybrid films will be similar to that of PMMA films.

In situ formation, surface characteristics, and interfacial adhesion of poly(imide siloxane)/tantalum oxide hybrid films

A new poly(imide siloxane)/tantalum oxide (PIS/TaO x) hybrid material has been successfully fabricated through the in situ formation of TaO x within a PIS matrix by sol–gel process. The hybrid thin films are prepared from 4,4-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]propane ( p-BAPP), α,ω-bis(3-amnopropyl)polydimethyl siloxane (APPS) and p-aminophenyltrimethoxysilane (APTS). The coupling agent APTS is employed to provide covalent bonding between the PIS and the TaO x and to control the block chain length of poly(amic acid siloxane). The effect of TaO x content in the PIS/TaO x hybrid thin films on surface characteristics, thermogravimetric analysis, thermal expansion coefficient, dynamic mechanical properties and the adhesion strength between the PIS/TaO x hybrid films and copper foil are investigated. The presence of TaO x on the hybrid film surface can improve the adhesion strength between the PIS/TaO x hybrid film and copper foil. Furthermore, by incorporating TaO x into the PIS matrix, the PIS/TaO x hybrid film possesses lower thermal expansion coefficient and retains good mechanical and thermal properties as well.

Highly selective and sensitive determination of dopamine using a Nafion/carbon nanotubes coated poly(3-methylthiophene) modified electrode

A poly(3-methylthiophene) modified glassy carbon electrode coated with Nafion/single-walled carbon nanotubes film was fabricated and used for highly selective and sensitive determination of dopamine. The hybrid film surface of the modified electrode was characterized by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and the results indicated that the carbon nanotubes were dispersed uniformly on the conductive polymer. The experimental results suggest that the hybrid film modified electrode combining the advantages of poly(3-methylthiophene), carbon nanotubes with Nafion exhibits dramatic electrocatalytic effect on the oxidation of dopamine (DA) and results in a marked enhancement of the current response. In 0.1M phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 7.0, the differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) peak heights are linear with DA concentration in three intervals, viz. 0.020-0.10 microM, 0.10-1.0 microM and 1.0-6.0 microM, with correlation coefficients of 0.9993, 0.9996 and 0.9993, respectively. The detection limit of 5.0 nM DA could be estimated (S/N=3). Moreover, the interferences of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UC) are effectively diminished. This hybrid film modified electrode can be applied to the determination of DA contents in dopamine hydrochloride injection and human serum. These attractive features provide a potential application for either in vitro measurement of DA in the presence of excess AA and UA or as detectors in flow injection analysis (FIA) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Acrylic polymer/silica hybrid for electron‐beam resists

AbstractAn acrylic polymer/silica hybrid resist film was investigated for fabricating a microstructure by electron‐beam (EB) lithography. EB lithography on the hybrid thin film afforded a positive pattern whose depth corresponded to the EB exposure dose; this indicated that the hybrid was an analog resist and could fabricate a three‐dimensional microstructure. The resist film had high heat resistance and compatibility with the underlying quartz plate, probably because of the silica component. The acrylic polymer/(RSiO1.5)n hybrid film showed higher EB sensitivity than a film of the crosslinked acrylic polymer and an acrylic polymer/(SiO2)n hybrid. Atomic force microscopy observation of the hybrid film surface showed the homogeneous dispersion of the acrylic polymer and the silica components in the hybrid film. The acrylic polymer component was EB‐sensitive, whereas dispersing the acrylic polymer and silica components homogeneously also played an important role in increasing the EB sensitivity. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2107–2116, 2006

Acrylic polymer/silica hybrids prepared by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization and the sol–gel process

AbstractAcrylic polymer/silica hybrids were prepared by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization and the sol–gel process. Acrylic polymer emulsions containing triethoxysilyl groups were synthesized by emulsifier‐free batch emulsion polymerization. The acrylic polymer/silica hybrid films prepared from the acrylic polymer emulsions and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were transparent and solvent‐resistant. Atomic force microscopy studies of the hybrid film surface suggested that the hybrid films did not contain large (e.g., micrometer‐size) silica particles, which could be formed because of the organic–inorganic phase separation. The SiOSi bond formed by the cocondensation of TEOS and the triethoxysilyl groups on the acrylic polymer increased the miscibility between the acrylic polymer component and the silica component in the hybrid films, in which the nanometer‐size silica domains (particles) were dispersed homogeneously in the acrylic polymer component. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 273–280, 2006

Effect of Composition on Surface Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane-based Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Films

Surface properties of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based inorganic/organic hybrids films prepared from silanol-terminated PDMS and titanium tetra-isopropoxide (TIP) were investigated with an aim at the application to the thermal-fixation roll for electro-photographic printers. The 300°C-treated hybrid film with the PDMS/TIP molar ratio of 0.5 exerted a relatively high contact angle of water as ∼115°C. It was found by using Tapping-Mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) that the hybrid film surface changed from lamella structure to sea-island structure with the increase of PDMS content when heat-treated at 150°C, and became homogenous surface over 300°C. The phase-shift detected by AFM was negative shift, showing that hybrid surface became more hydrophobic as the PDMS/TIP molar ratios of 0.35 and 4.0 exhibited excellent “toner-offset” property of showing no adhesion of toners, suggesting their practical use in the photographic printers.