Vapor deposition polymerization of synthetic rubber thin film in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor

Rubber is one of the most commonly used industrial materials worldwide. However, there is a gap in the literature on the production of rubber thin films in nanoscale. When the rubber thin films are produced in nanoscale, they can be used in high-tech applications where bulk rubbers have never been used before. This study is one of the first investigations to focus on the vapor-based production of the polyisoprene (PI), which is an important member of the synthetic rubber class. For this purpose, a single-step, rapid and environmentally friendly method based on plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) was employed to produce PI thin films using 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (isoprene). The high-vapor pressure of isoprene makes it a promising monomer for the production of chemical vapor deposition polymers. The effect of plasma processing parameters on the PI deposition rate was investigated. The deposition rate of PI thin film as high as 40 nm/min was achieved and the contact angle of PI coated bamboo surface was found to be 146.8°. The mechanical durability and laundering tests of PI thin films were performed. Based on this study results, PI thin films produced by PECVD can be used in a number of potential applications.