This Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) project will address developing a fundamental understanding of how certain hydrohalocarbon solvents can be used to activate polymeric surfaces to significantly improve the adhesion of vapor deposited noble metal thin films such as Au and Pt which are technologically important in the microfabrication of sensors and interconnects in polymer microdevices. Work on this project will answer the following broad question: Which range of polymers, solvents and metal interactions can be improved through the creation of a Lewis acid-base adduct between the polymer surface, the organic solvent, and the deposited metal? In order to address this question, a range of experimental and theoretical tools will be used to predict, design and optimize experimental conditions resulting in polymeric surfaces which promote improved metal adhesion. Successful adhesion of Au and Pt thin films have been demonstrated with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) exposed to a variety of halogenated solvents. Polymer surfaces with a range of similar backbone and side-chain chemistries compared to PMMA will be explored, as will materials that have a different chemical composition, but may exhibit similar Lewis base properties compared to PMMA. The patterning of polymer surfaces will be studied to determine if solvent activation methods can be used in conjunction with soft-lithographic techniques to produce patterned features compatible with microfluidic devices that can be used to simulate neural circuit development and function on a polymer microchip. Materials properties will be studied using a combination of surface analysis and microscopy techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and spectroscopic and imaging techniques such as optical and electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY
This Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) project will study the adhesion of metal films onto polymeric surfaces with applications in polymer microdevices. Researchers at James Madison University and the University of Virginia will train undergraduate research students in a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. This project will involve the training of up to fifteen undergraduate researchers over the duration of the program. The students will be exposed to materials science issues of the processing, modification and characterization of polymer thin films, surfaces and interfaces. The students funded in this program will be expected to participate in activities related to the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in chemistry at JMU to become part of a "community of scholars" with up to sixty other summer undergraduate researchers each summer in chemistry, physics, engineering and materials science at JMU. They will have further opportunities to interact with graduate researchers in biology through an exchange program with undergraduates from JMU going to UVa for one summer and visa versa. Finally, this program will fund two high school teachers to work in a research environment to learn how materials science can be applied to the secondary school chemistry or physics curriculum. In summary, this program helps serve to broadly impact the pipeline of future scientists from the high school through graduate level with students trained in cutting-edge polymer materials science topics with biological applications of polymer surfaces.
