Preparation of TiO2 thin films on polystyrene by liquid phase deposition

Polystyrene (PS) substrates were functionalized by wet chemical grafting with 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1sulfonic acid (AMPS). Subsequently, TiO2 thin films were prepared by liquid phase deposition (LPD) with an average growth rate of 85 nm h-1; a maximum thickness of 750 nm was observed in our experiments. The crystalline fraction of the precipitated material was estimated to be 58% by X-ray powder-diffraction. Significantly improved film adhesion was achieved on grafted substrates, as compared to non-functionalized polymers, due to the formation of a thin, coherent primer layer in the early stages of mineralization.