Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications

Superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic surface functionalization has been drawing much attention recently especially on polymeric materials. Polymers enjoy certain unique advantages such as light weight, low cost, and good flexibility, making them a favorable choice for a wide range of industrial applica...

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Main Author: Sun, Ye
Other Authors: Chen Zhong
Format: Thesis-Doctor of Philosophy
Language:English
Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159090
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
id sg-ntu-dr.10356-159090
record_format dspace
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Engineering::Materials::Functional materials
Engineering::Materials::Plasma treatment
spellingShingle Engineering::Materials::Functional materials
Engineering::Materials::Plasma treatment
Sun, Ye
Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications
description Superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic surface functionalization has been drawing much attention recently especially on polymeric materials. Polymers enjoy certain unique advantages such as light weight, low cost, and good flexibility, making them a favorable choice for a wide range of industrial applications. On the other hand, the surface properties of polymers may not be suitable for some specific applications, especially when extreme wetting states (e.g., superhydrophilic, superhydrophobic) are required. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the inert polymer surface without affecting the properties of the bulk to meet the performance requirements of different applications. Despite the fact that many methodologies have been explored to modify the surface to be superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic, many of them are not suitable for heat sensitive polymer materials. Additionally, the mechanical durability of modified surface is still a main challenge faced by many practical applications. Plasma processing is one of the most efficient ways to alter the surface feature as well as the surface chemistry at low temperatures. Although plasma process has been developed for a long time, little has been reported to modify the surface in a single process. In the thesis work, we will further develop the process to enhance functionality, durability as well as the reliability of the modified surface. Therefore, the aim of this research is to functionalize polymer surface for different application like oil-water separation, anti-fogging and anti-fingerprint via plasma surface modification and coating. The first result presented in this thesis shows a facile and chemical-free hydrogen plasma process, which can transform a superhydrophilic polyester fabric surface to superhydrophobic in treatment time of 4 min. The as-prepared superhydrophobic polyester has high efficiency in oil-water separation. Such strategy of preparing superhydrophobic polyester provides a pathway towards on-demand practical application such as treatment of oil contaminant. The second part of the result describes a designed and optimized process for coating polymeric materials with anti-fogging property. Pulse laser deposition of silica nanoparticles film created surface roughness and the surface chemical state to realize the necessary superhydrophilicity. With the aid of oxygen plasma surface treatment prior to deposition, coating exhibited excellent mechanical robustness and durability in terms of coating adhesion and abrasion resistance. Based on this finding, we continued to explore the possibility of constructing surface with other possible functional properties like self-cleaning and anti-fingerprint. By depositing titanium oxide nanoparticles on top of silica films, we not only retained the superhydrophilicity but also observed photocatalytic capability to remove organic residues on surface upon UV irradiation. Lastly, superhydrophilic silica nanoparticles films with abundant hydroxyl group on surface provided bonding sites of low surface energy fluorinated compounds. Rapid dip-coating of silica -coated substrates in fluorinated compounds functionalized the surface to be superhydrophobic and highly oleophobic with self-cleaning and anti-fingerprint properties. In summary, this research contributes to the development and optimization of the process of modifying polymeric materials surface with desire functional properties while demonstrating great mechanical robustness and durability.
author2 Chen Zhong
author_facet Chen Zhong
Sun, Ye
format Thesis-Doctor of Philosophy
author Sun, Ye
author_sort Sun, Ye
title Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications
title_short Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications
title_full Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications
title_fullStr Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications
title_full_unstemmed Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications
title_sort surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications
publisher Nanyang Technological University
publishDate 2022
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159090
_version_ 1735491255692951552
spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-1590902022-06-07T08:01:11Z Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications Sun, Ye Chen Zhong School of Materials Science and Engineering Rajdeep Singh Rawat ASZChen@ntu.edu.sg Engineering::Materials::Functional materials Engineering::Materials::Plasma treatment Superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic surface functionalization has been drawing much attention recently especially on polymeric materials. Polymers enjoy certain unique advantages such as light weight, low cost, and good flexibility, making them a favorable choice for a wide range of industrial applications. On the other hand, the surface properties of polymers may not be suitable for some specific applications, especially when extreme wetting states (e.g., superhydrophilic, superhydrophobic) are required. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the inert polymer surface without affecting the properties of the bulk to meet the performance requirements of different applications. Despite the fact that many methodologies have been explored to modify the surface to be superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic, many of them are not suitable for heat sensitive polymer materials. Additionally, the mechanical durability of modified surface is still a main challenge faced by many practical applications. Plasma processing is one of the most efficient ways to alter the surface feature as well as the surface chemistry at low temperatures. Although plasma process has been developed for a long time, little has been reported to modify the surface in a single process. In the thesis work, we will further develop the process to enhance functionality, durability as well as the reliability of the modified surface. Therefore, the aim of this research is to functionalize polymer surface for different application like oil-water separation, anti-fogging and anti-fingerprint via plasma surface modification and coating. The first result presented in this thesis shows a facile and chemical-free hydrogen plasma process, which can transform a superhydrophilic polyester fabric surface to superhydrophobic in treatment time of 4 min. The as-prepared superhydrophobic polyester has high efficiency in oil-water separation. Such strategy of preparing superhydrophobic polyester provides a pathway towards on-demand practical application such as treatment of oil contaminant. The second part of the result describes a designed and optimized process for coating polymeric materials with anti-fogging property. Pulse laser deposition of silica nanoparticles film created surface roughness and the surface chemical state to realize the necessary superhydrophilicity. With the aid of oxygen plasma surface treatment prior to deposition, coating exhibited excellent mechanical robustness and durability in terms of coating adhesion and abrasion resistance. Based on this finding, we continued to explore the possibility of constructing surface with other possible functional properties like self-cleaning and anti-fingerprint. By depositing titanium oxide nanoparticles on top of silica films, we not only retained the superhydrophilicity but also observed photocatalytic capability to remove organic residues on surface upon UV irradiation. Lastly, superhydrophilic silica nanoparticles films with abundant hydroxyl group on surface provided bonding sites of low surface energy fluorinated compounds. Rapid dip-coating of silica -coated substrates in fluorinated compounds functionalized the surface to be superhydrophobic and highly oleophobic with self-cleaning and anti-fingerprint properties. In summary, this research contributes to the development and optimization of the process of modifying polymeric materials surface with desire functional properties while demonstrating great mechanical robustness and durability. Doctor of Philosophy 2022-06-07T08:01:11Z 2022-06-07T08:01:11Z 2022 Thesis-Doctor of Philosophy Sun, Y. (2022). Surface engineering of polymeric substrates using plasma technique and applications. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159090 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159090 en RG16/18 RG8/21 RS6/18 RSR This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). application/pdf Nanyang Technological University