Polypropylene surface modification by active screen plasma nitriding

Here we describe the use of low energy plasma immersion with active screen as a convenient approach for polypropylene (PP) surface modification. Employing a stainless steel cathodic cage coated with carbon in order to prevent the sputtering of iron from the grid and its deposition onto the polymer sample, the physical chemical properties of PP surface could be effectively modified through the plasma-induced incorporation/formation of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing species. The areal densities of these elements depended on the plasma excitation source, as determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). Newly formed C–O, C–N, and CO/OC–O/N–CO bonds along with C–C linkages from the PP backbone were identified at the near surface region of the specimens by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The insertion of such polar reactive functionalities was further confirmed by a substantial decrease in the water contact angle upon plasma treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that while no major changes in the morphology occur upon DC plasma treatments as compared to untreated samples, the use of pulsed plasma consistently leads to the formation of cracks at the surface. The herein reported approach is an attractive tool for environmental friendly low-cost surface engineering of novel materials.