Studying the influence of chemical structure on the surface properties of polymer films

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Juliane K.G. Bunk - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Doris U. Pospiech - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Klaus Jochen Eichhorn - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Martin Müller - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Carsten Werner - , Chair of Biofunctional Polymer Materials, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Cornelia Bellmann - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Frank Simon - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Dieter Pleul - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Karina Grundke - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)

Abstract

The influence of the chemical structure of polymer surfaces with systematically altered chemical composition (aliphatic, aromatic, ester group in the side chain/main chain, ether- and sulfone groups), among them new polymeric structure synthesized in our group, on the surface properties was examined using carefully synthesized and purified polymers. The aim of the research was to elaborate direct structure-property relationships between the chemical structure and parameters describing the surface properties, such as wetting, surface free energy and adsorption of proteins. Thin films were prepared by spin coating and characterized with a combination of complementary methods (optical microscopy, AFM, contact angle measurements, streaming potential measurements, XPS, ellipsometry). Finding correlations required pure and well-characterized polymers as well as the formation of smooth, thin films with low surface roughness. The chemical structure of the polymers used gave rise to a broad range of surface free energies varying from 9.8 to 40.0. mN/m. The adsorption of human serum albumin as model protein on these films was determined by using a static method, the high performance liquid chromatography technique (HPLC). In tendency a correlation between chemical structure (represented by the ratio between oxygen and carbon), surface free energy and amount of adsorbed HSA could be derived.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)47-57
Number of pages11
JournalColloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Volume362
Issue number1-3
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2010
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-0189-3448/work/162347690

Keywords

Keywords

  • Human serum albumin, Polymer films, Protein adsorption, Structure-property relationships