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Water-Resistant Surface Modification of Hydrophobic Polymers with Water-Soluble Surfactant Additives
Colin P Gibson1, Matthew A Litwinowicz1, James P Tellam2
1Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
Polymers
|October 13, 2021
Summary
Pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E5) spontaneously forms hydrophilic surfaces on polyisoprene films. This surfactant layer is surprisingly stable, though rinsing alters surface properties, revealing distinct surfactant populations.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Hydrophobic polymers like polyisoprene (PI) require surface modification for hydrophilic applications.
- Nonionic surfactants can alter polymer surface properties, but their behavior in thin films is complex.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spontaneous surface blooming of pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E5) on hydrophobic polyisoprene (PI) films.
- To characterize the resulting hydrophilic surface layer and its stability.
- To understand the complex behavior and structure of the surfactant on the polymer surface.
Main Methods:
- Neutron reflectometry (NR) was used to quantify vertical depth profiles, accounting for film thickness undulations.
- Contact angle analysis and atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterized surface properties and morphology.
Main Results:
- C12E5 spontaneously segregated to the PI surface, forming an incomplete layer thicker than a monolayer.
- The surfactant layer exhibited remarkable stability against dissolution in water.
- Water exposure altered wettability, causing a hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic transition post-rinsing.
- AFM revealed strand-like features, indicating non-uniform lateral surfactant distribution and two distinct surfactant populations.
Conclusions:
- The C12E5/PI system provides a model for polymer surface modification with complex behavior.
- Two surfactant populations exist: stable surface layers and laterally inhomogeneous structures responsible for wetting.
- Specular NR detected the layered surfactant, but not the wetting-determining inhomogeneous component.
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