XPS and AFM surface studies of solvent-cast PS/PMMA blends

Films of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends of two different thicknesses have been examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Blends with different compositions were spin-cast onto a mica substrate with chloroform as the mutual solvent. XPS measurements revealed surface enrichment of PMMA in all compositions. The thicker (66 nm) films exhibit a higher degree of PMMA surface enrichment than the thinner (17 nm) films. AFM imaging allows distinctions to be drawn between blends with differing compositions. The blend films with less than 50% PMMA bulk concentration generally exhibit pitted surfaces; the pit size varies with film thickness and bulk composition. When the PMMA bulk concentration is greater than 50%, the film surface changes to show island-like phase-separated structure. The surface segregation and morphology are explained in terms of solubilities of the two polymers in the solvent and dewetting of PMMA relative to PS. The phase domains on the film surface have also been resolved by frictional force microscopy (FFM) using hydrophilic tips bearing hydroxyl groups. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Optimization of ultraviolet ozone treatment process for improvement of polycaprolactone (PCL) microcarrier performance

Growing cells on microcarriers may have overcome the limitation of conventional cell culture system. However, the surface functionality of certain polymeric microcarriers for effective cell attachment and growth remains a challenge. Polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable polymer has received considerable attention due to its good mechanical properties and degradation rate. The drawback is the non-polar hydrocarbon moiety which makes it not readily suitable for cell attachment. This report concerns the modification of PCL microcarrier surface (introduction of functional oxygen groups) using ultraviolet irradiation and ozone (UV/O3) system and investigation of the effects of ozone concentration, the amount of PCL and exposure time; where the optimum conditions were found to be at 60,110.52 ppm, 5.5 g PCL and 60 min, respectively. The optimum concentration of carboxyl group (COOH) absorbed on the surface was 1495.92 nmol/g and the amount of gelatin immobilized was 320 ± 0.9 lg/g on UV/O3 treated microcarriers as compared to the untreated (26.83 ± 3 lg/g) microcarriers. The absorption of functional oxygen groups on the surface and the immobilized gelatin was confirmed with the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and the enhancement of hydrophilicity of the surface was confirmed using water contact angle measurement which decreased (86.93– 49.34) after UV/O3 treatment and subsequently after immobilization of gelatin. The attachment and growth kinetics for HaCaT skin keratinocyte cells showed that adhesion occurred much more rapidly for oxidized surfaces and gelatin immobilized surface as compared to untreated PCL