https://www.surfacesciencewestern.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ass11_biesinger.pdf

Resolving surface chemical states in XPS analysis of first row transition metals, oxides and hydroxides: Sc, Ti, V, Cu and Zn

This review surveys methods for the fabrication, by plasma surface treatments or plasma polymerization, of polymeric surfaces and thin plasma polymer coatings that contain reactive chemical groups useful for the subsequent covalent immobilization, by solution chemical reactions or vapor phase grafting, of molecules or polymers that can exert bio-specific interfacial responses. Surfaces containing amine, carboxy, hydroxy, and aldehyde groups are the subject of this review. Aminated surfaces have been fabricated using various plasma vapors or mixtures and have found wide use for bio-interface applications. However, in many cases the amine surfaces have a rather limited shelf life, with post-plasma oxidation reactions and surface adaptation leading to the disappearance of amine groups from the surface. Aging is a widespread phenomenon that often has not been recognized, particularly in some of the earlier studies on the use of plasma-fabricated surfaces for bio-interfacial applications, and can markedly alter the surface chemistry. Plasma-fabricated surfaces that contain carboxy groups have also been well documented. Fewer reports exist on hydroxy and aldehyde surfaces prepared by plasma methods. Hydroxy surfaces can be prepared by water plasma treatment or the plasma polymerization of alkyl alcohol vapors. Water plasma treatment on many polymer substrates suffers from aging, with surface adaptation leading to the movement of surface modification effects into the polymer. Both hydroxy and aldehyde surfaces have been used for the covalent immobilization of biologically active molecules. Aging effects are less well documented than for amine surfaces. This review also surveys studies using such surfaces for cell colonization assays. Generally, these surface chemistries show good ability to support cell colonization, though the effectiveness seems to depend on the process vapor and the plasma conditions. Carboxylate co-polymer surfaces have shown excellent ability to support the colonization of some human cell lines of clinical interest. Immobilization of proteins onto plasma-carboxylated surfaces is also well established.

Plasma Methods for the Generation of Chemically Reactive Surfaces for Biomolecule Immobilization and Cell Colonization ‐ A Review

▪ Abstract A two-part review of research concerning block copolymer thin films is presented. The first section summarizes experimental and theoretical studies of the fundamental physics of these systems, concentrating upon the forces that govern film morphology. The role of film thickness and surface energetics on the morphology of compositionally symmetric, amorphous diblock copolymer films is emphasized, including considerations of boundary condition symmetry, so-called hybrid structures, and surface chemical expression. Discussions of compositionally asymmetric systems and emerging research areas, e.g., liquid-crystalline and A-B-C triblock systems, are also included. In the second section, technological applications of block copolymer films, e.g., as lithographic masks and photonic materials, are considered. Particular attention is paid to means by which microphase domain order and orientation can be controlled, including exploitation of thickness and surface effects, the application of external field...

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Block copolymer thin films : Physics and applications

Surface contamination by polymer residues has long been a critical problem in probing graphene’s intrinsic properties and in using graphene for unique applications in surface chemistry, biotechnology, and ultrahigh speed electronics. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a macromolecule commonly used for graphene transfer and device processing, leaving a thin layer of residue to be empirically cleaned by annealing. Here we report on a systematic study of PMMA decomposition on graphene and of its impact on graphene’s intrinsic properties using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with Raman spectroscopy. TEM images revealed that the physisorbed PMMA proceeds in two steps of weight loss in annealing and cannot be removed entirely at a graphene susceptible temperature before breaking. Raman analysis shows a remarkable blue-shift of the 2D mode after annealing, implying an anneal-induced band structure modulation in graphene with defects. Calculations using density functional theory show that l...

Graphene Annealing: How Clean Can It Be?

Reliable determination of chemical state in x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy based on sample-work-function referencing to adventitious carbon: Resolving the myth of apparent constant binding energy of the C 1s peak

XPS and NEXAFS studies of aliphatic and aromatic amine species on functionalized surfaces

ESCA, XRD, and IR Characterization of Aluminum Oxide, Hydroxyfluoride, and Fluoride Surfaces in Correlation with Their Catalytic Activity in Heterogeneous Halogen Exchange Reactions

Cr–N film coatings were prepared by magnetron sputter deposition at different nitrogen partial pressures. The film characterisation by XRD and DTG gives average bulk compositions of Cr2N and CrN for the coatings. Highly sensitive XPS investigations were performed and the chemical and phase compositions of a film surface range of about 10 nm thickness was estimated quantitatively from the deconvoluted peak intensities. It is demonstrated that the composition of the surface of chromium nitride thin films differs from the core and is more complex in constitution. Not only chromium nitrides (Cr2N and CrN) but also chromium oxynitrides and chromium oxides (CrOx and CrOxHy) were detected. Metallic chromium was also found in films prepared at higher nitrogen flow. The concentration of the estimated phases shows dependence on film preparation and additional heat treatment.

XPS investigations of chromium nitride thin films

Chemical analysis of plasma-polymerized films: The application of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

Andreas Lippitz

Papers

XPS and NEXAFS studies of aliphatic and aromatic amine species on functionalized surfaces

ESCA, XRD, and IR Characterization of Aluminum Oxide, Hydroxyfluoride, and Fluoride Surfaces in Correlation with Their Catalytic Activity in Heterogeneous Halogen Exchange Reactions

XPS investigations of chromium nitride thin films

Chemical analysis of plasma-polymerized films: The application of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

Nitrogen-rich plasma polymers: Comparison of films deposited in atmospheric- and low-pressure plasmas