Functionalization of poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces with maleic anhydride copolymer films

Combining advantageous bulk properties of polymeric materials with surface-selective chemical conversions is required in numerous advanced technologies. For that aim, we investigate strategies to graft maleic anhydride (MA) copolymer films onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) precoatings. Amino groups allowing the covalent attachment of the MA copolymer films to the PDMS (Sylgard 184) surface were introduced either by low-pressure ammonia plasma treatment, or by attachment of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) onto air plasma-treated PDMS. The resultant coatings were extensively characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), contact angle measurements, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the impact of the plasma treatment on the physical properties on the topmost surface of the PDMS is critically important for the characteristics of the layered coatings.