Surface Modification Of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers By High Radio Frequency Air Plasma Treatment

Low-temperature plasma treatments are used to perform surface modification on polymers, aiming to improve the surface properties according to the desired application. In this work, polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs), built by layer-by-layer deposition technique, were treated using high frequency low-temperature air plasma. We evaluated the effect of the exposure time (20 and 300 s) and its effects on PEMs with two different top layers: alginate and carboxymethylcellulose. Chitosan was used as the cationic polymer to build the LbL films with the oppositely charged anionic polymers, alginate and carboxymethylcellulose. Our results showed that the surface topology, wettability and free charges within layers are highly correlated to the polymer pair used. PEMs of the chitosan/alginate system are thinner and hydrophilic, and present a surface with wider peaks. 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Holographic Sensors: Three-Dimensional Analyte-Sensitive Nanostructures and Their Applications

Holographic sensors are analytical devices that systematically diffract narrow-band light in the ultraviolet to near-infrared range for application in the detection and quantification of analytes and/or physical parameters. They can be functionalized with analyte-responsive materials to construct highly sensitive optical sensors for use in testing, where a visual readout, fast turnaround time, and reversibility are needed. Holography allows fabrication of disposable sensors that are lightweight for miniaturization and multiplexing purposes.3 Holographic sensors offer three capabilities on a single analytical device: (i) label-free analyte-responsive polymer, (ii) real-time, reversible quantification of the external stimuli, and (iii) three-dimensional visual image display