Elaboration of nano-structured grafted polymeric surface

The grafting of polymers and surfactant molecules thanks plasma irradiation and dip-coating allows a large spectrum of functional groups and topographies controlling the surface properties like adhesion, wettability and biocompatibility. The grafting of mixtures of PNIPAM and CTAB or Tween 20 leads to a nano-structure polypropylene surface. [Display omitted] ► New polymeric surfaces having controlled physicochemical properties. ► New polymeric surfaces composed of mixtures of polymers and surfactant molecules. ► New polymeric surfaces with a topographic organization (nano-structuration). ► Simple elaboration routs of these new surfaces thanks plasma and coating technics. The surface grafting of multi-polymeric materials can be achieved by grafting as components such as polymers poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and/or surfactant molecules (hexatrimethylammonium bromide, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate). The chosen grafting techniques, i.e. plasma activation followed by coating, allow a large spectrum of functional groups that can be inserted on the surface controlling the surface properties like adhesion, wettability and biocompatibility. The grafted polypropylene surfaces were characterized by contact angle analyses, XPS and AFM analyses. The influence of He plasma activation, of the coating parameters such as concentrations of the various reactive agents are discussed in terms of hydrophilic character, chemical composition and morphologic surface heterogeneity. The plasma pre-activation was shown inevitable for a permanent polymeric grafting. PNIPAM was grafted alone or with a mixture of the surfactant molecules. Depending on the individual proportion of each component, the grafted surfaces are shown homogeneous or composed of small domains of one component leading to a nano-structuration of the grafted surface.