Surface treatment and characterization of PMMA, PHEMA, and PHPMA

Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA), and poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PHPMA) were modified to improve th e wettability by two techniques: plasma and plasma source ion implantation. The modified surfaces were characterized to investigate the dependence of the modification and hydrophobic recovery on the polymer structure. The dif ferences obtained under optimal experiment conditions among the polymers we re interpreted in terms of their polymer structures including the glass tra nsition temperature. The surface free energy, calculated from the contact a ngle measurements, revealed that its polar component was a dominant factor in improving the wettability. The PSII treatment created more functional gr oups on the surface and extensively modified the polymer layer than the pla sma treatment. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.