Authors: Václav Švorčík, Zdeňka Kolská, Jakub Siegel, Petr Slepička

Abstract: Surface of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) was modified by plasma discharge and subsequently grafted with dithiol (4,4-bifenyldithiol, BFD)) to create thiol (-SH) groups on polymer surface. This short dithiol is expected to be fixed via one of-SH groups to radicals created by the plasma treatment on the PET surface. Free-SH groups are allowed to interact with Au nanoparticles. Xray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Electrokinetic Analysis (EA, zeta potential) were used for the characterization of surface chemistry of the modified PET. Surface morphology and roughness of the samples were studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).The results from XPS, FTIR, EA and AFM show that the Au nanoparticles are grafted on modified surface in the case of bifenyldithiol pretreatment. The rigid molecule of biphenyldithiol is bounded via only one-SH group to the modified PET surface and the second one remains free for the consecutive chemical reaction with Au nanoparticle. The gold nanoparticles are distributed relatively homogenously over the polymer surface.

Direct link: http://www.scientific.net/JNanoR.25.40