Functional Polymer Films 2 Volume Set

Very thin film materials have emerged as a highly interesting and useful quasi 2D-state functionality. They have given rise to numerous applications ranging from protective and smart coatings to electronics, sensors and display technology as well as serving biological, analytical and medical purposes. The tailoring of polymer film properties and functions has become a major research field. As opposed to the traditional treatise on polymer and resin-based coatings, this one-stop reference is the first to give readers a comprehensive view of the latest macromolecular and supramolecular film-based nanotechnology. Bringing together all the important facets and state-of-the-art research, the two well-structured volumes cover film assembly and depostion, functionality and patterning, and analysis and characterization. The result is an in-depth understanding of the phenomena, ordering, scale effects, fabrication, and analysis of polymer ultrathin films. This book will be a valuable addition for Materials Scientists, Polymer Chemists, Surface Scientists, Bioengineers, Coatings Specialists, Chemical Engineers, and Scientists working in this important research field and industry.

In the last 10 years there have been major advances in fundamental understanding and applications and a vast portfolio of new polymer structures with unique and tailored properties was developed. Work moved from a chemical repeat unit structure to one more based on structural control, new polymerization methodologies, properties, processing, and applications. The 4th Edition takes this into account and will be completely rewritten and reorganized, focusing on spin coating, spray coating, blade/slot die coating, layer-by-layer assembly, and fiber spinning methods; property characterizations of redox, interfacial, electrical, and optical phenomena; and commercial applications.

The method of CVD (chemical vapor deposition) is a versatile technique to fabricate high-quality thin films and structured surfaces in the nanometer regime from the vapor phase. Already widely used for the deposition of inorganic materials in the semiconductor industry, CVD has become the method of choice in many applications to process polymers as well. This highly scalable technique allows for synthesizing high-purity, defect-free films and for systematically tuning their chemical, mechanical and physical properties. In addition, vapor phase processing is critical for the deposition of insoluble materials including fluoropolymers, electrically conductive polymers, and highly crosslinked organic networks. Furthermore, CVD enables the coating of substrates which would otherwise dissolve or swell upon exposure to solvents. The scope of the book encompasses CVD polymerization processes which directly translate the chemical mechanisms of traditional polymer synthesis and organic synthesis in homogeneous liquids into heterogeneous processes for the modification of solid surfaces. The book is structured into four parts, complemented by an introductory overview of the diverse process strategies for CVD of polymeric materials. The first part on the fundamentals of CVD polymers is followed by a detailed coverage of the materials chemistry of CVD polymers, including the main synthesis mechanisms and the resultant classes of materials. The third part focuses on the applications of these materials such as membrane modification and device fabrication. The final part discusses the potential for scale-up and commercialization of CVD polymers.

Combining an up-to-date insight into mass-spectrometric polymer analysis beyond MALDI with application details of the instrumentation, this is a balanced and thorough presentation of the most important and widely used mass-spectrometric methods. Written by the world's most proficient experts in the field, the book focuses on the latest developments, covering such technologies and applications as ionization protocols, tandem and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, gas-phase ion-separation techniques and automated data processing. Chapters on sample preparation, polymer degradation and the usage of mass-spectrometric tools on an industrial scale round off the book. As a result, both entrants to the field and experienced researchers are able to choose the appropriate methods and instrumentations -- and to assess their respective strengths and limitations -- for the characterization of polymer compounds.

More than 99% of all visible matter in the universe occurs as highly ionized gas plasma with high energy content. Electrical low- and atmospheric-pressure plasmas are characterized by continuous source of moderate quantities of energy or enthalpy transferred predominantly as kinetic energy of electrons. Therefore, such energetically unbalanced plasmas have low gas temperature but produce sufficient energy for inelastic collisions with atoms and molecules in the gas phase, thus producing reactive species and photons, which are able to initiate all types of polymerizations or activate any surface of low reactive polymers. However, the broadly distributed energies in the plasma exceed partially the binding energies in polymers, thus initiating very often unselective reactions and polymer degradation. The intention of this book is to present new plasma processes and new plasma reactions of high selectivity and high yield. This book aims to bridge classical and plasma chemistry, particularly focusing on polymer chemistry in the bulk and on the surface under plasma exposure. The stability of surface functionalization and the qualitative and quantitative measurement of functional groups at polymer surface are featured prominently, and chemical pathways for suppressing the undesirable side effects of plasma exposure are proposed and illustrated with numerous examples. Special attention is paid to the smooth transition from inanimate polymer surfaces to modified bioactive polymer surfaces. A wide range of techniques, plasma types and applications are demonstrated.

The layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition technique is a versatile approach for preparing nanoscale multimaterial films: the fabrication of multicomposite films by the LbL procedure allows the combination of literally hundreds of different materials with nanometer thickness in a single device to obtain novel or superior performance. In the last 15 years the LbL technique has seen considerable developments and has now reached a point where it is beginning to find applications in bioengineering and biomedical engineering. The book gives a thorough overview of applications of the LbL technique in the context of bioengineering and biomedical engineering where the last years have witnessed tremendous progress. The first part familiarizes the reader with the specifics of cell-film interactions that need to be taken into account for successful application of the LbL method in biological environments. The second part focuses on LbL-derived small drug delivery systems and antibacterial agents, and the third part covers nano- and microcapsules as drug carriers and biosensors. The fourth and last part focuses on larger-scale biomedical applications of the LbL method such as engineered tissues and implant coatings.

The first part of Semiconducting Polymer Composites describes the principles and concepts of semiconducting polymer composites in general, addressing electrical conductivity, energy alignment at interfaces, morphology, energy transfer, percolation theory and processing techniques. In later chapters, different types of polymer composites are discussed: mixtures of semiconducting and insulating or semiconducting and semiconducting components, respectively. These composites are suitable for a variety of applications that are presented in detail, including transistors and solar cells, sensors and detectors, diodes and lasers as well as anti-corrosive and anti-static surface coatings.

This handbook brings together, under a single cover, all aspects of the chemistry, physics, and engineering of surfaces and interfaces of materials currently studied in academic and industrial research. It covers different experimental and theoretical aspects of surfaces and interfaces, their physical properties, and spectroscopic techniques that have been applied to a wide class of inorganic, organic, polymer, and biological materials. The diversified technological areas of surface science reflect the explosion of scientific information on surfaces and interfaces of materials and their spectroscopic characterization. The large volume of experimental data on chemistry, physics, and engineering aspects of materials surfaces and interfaces remains scattered in so many different periodicals, therefore this handbook compilation is needed.The information presented in this multivolume reference draws on two decades of pioneering research on the surfaces and interfaces of materials to offer a complete perspective on the topic. These five volumes-Surface and Interface Phenomena; Surface Characterization and Properties; Nanostructures, Micelles, and Colloids; Thin Films and Layers; Biointerfaces and Applications-provide multidisciplinary review chapters and summarize the current status of the field covering important scientific and technological developments made over past decades in surfaces and interfaces of materials and spectroscopic techniques with contributions from internationally recognized experts from all over the world. Fully cross-referenced, this book has clear, precise, and wide appeal as an essential reference source long due for the scientific community. The complete reference on the topic of surfaces and interfaces of materialsThe information presented in this multivolume reference draws on two decades of pioneering researchProvides multidisciplinary review chapters and summarizes the current status of the fieldCovers important scientific and technological developments made over past decades in surfaces and interfaces of materials and spectroscopic techniquesContributions from internationally recognized experts from all over the world