Transparent PDMS Surfaces with Covalently Attached Lubricants for Enhanced Anti-adhesion Performance

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c17110
• Publication Date: 2024-02-13T20:14:18Z
• Authors: Tanja Eder; Andreas Mautner; Yufeng Xu; Michael R. Reithofer; Alexander Bismarck; Jia Min Chin
• Keywords: Polydimethylsiloxane; Dewetting; Surface Modification; Thermogravimetric analysis

Liquid-like surfaces featuring slippery, omniphobic, covalently attached liquids (SOCALs) reduce unwanted adhesion by providing a molecularly smooth and slippery surface arising from the high mobility of liquid chains. Such SOCALs are commonly prepared on hard substrates, such as glass, wafers, or metal oxides, despite importance nonpolar elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in anti-fouling nonstick applications. Compared to polar elastomers, hydrophobic PDMS elastomer activation covalent functionalization significantly more challenging, tends display fast recovery upon well superficial cracking. Through extraction excess oligomers fine-tuning plasma parameters, homogeneously functionalized with fluorinated polysiloxane brushes could be obtained while at same time reducing crack formation. Polymer brush was increased through addition smaller molecular silane linker exhibit enhanced dewetting properties reduced substrate swelling compared functionalizations hydrocarbon functionalities. Linear polymer were verified thermogravimetric analysis. The optical remained unaffected high-frequency but impacted low-frequency plasma. Drastic decreases solid not just complex contaminants even ice shown horizontal push tests, demonstrating potential SOCAL-functionalized for improved