Surface functionalization at atmospheric pressure by DBD-based pulsed plasma polymerization

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD)-based plasma deposition at atmospheric pressure, using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA, metacrylic acid-[2,3-epoxy-propyl ester]) as a prototype precursor was investigated in order to evaluate the applicability of dielectric barrier discharges to obtain plasma polymers with a high degree of structural retention of the starting precursor. Using pulsed excitation of the discharge, up to about 90 % of the epoxy groups of GMA can be retained in plasma polymers obtainable at deposition rates in the order of 3-5 nm/s. Preliminary investigations of the mechanism of film formation under pulsed plasma conditions indicate that the reaction of intact monomer molecules with surface radicals generated during the pulses play a prominent role.