Plasma polymers are commonly defined as thin films (nm to μm thickness) generated through the deposition of organic species from a plasma phase. Their formation process depends on several factors, such as: the precursor nature, the plasma operating conditions and the physico-chemical properties of the surface over which they are deposited. The precursors are intrinsically linked to the formation and stability of the plasma film as well as to the possible applications of the final coating. The fact that the polymerization starts from species in the plasma state means that more varied chemical bonds can be created from the same precursors, when compared to other polymerization approaches. The tailoring of the polymer thin film properties can be performed by changing the operating parameters and the precursor chemistry. That makes plasma polymerization a flexible process, with potential applications from the textile to the pharmaceutical industries. In addition, plasma polymerization is performed in the absence of organic solvents, which appeals to its use as a greener process. The goal of the current offer is to explore plasma polymerization of original precursors and gather initial data about the chemistry of the plasma phase. The intern will further characterize the novel plasma polymers. The intern will thus have the opportunity to learn fundamental concepts of plasma diagnostics, surface functionalization and thin film characterization, through the analysis of physico-chemical and morphological properties of the plasma and of plasma polymers. The preparation of the surface exposed to the plasma will allow the intern to obtain an extra set of competences in wet chemistry functionalization procedures.
The missions of the intern:
The will carry out plasma polymerization and perform chemical, physico-chemical and morphological characterizations of the plasma and/or plasma polymers using the available techniques at the IS2M (contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) …).
Publié le 15/09/2024