Regulation of Surface Dimpled Morphology by Using Fluorinated Polymers

抄録

2,2,2-Trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA) and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate (HFIMA) are fluorinated monomers, and water repellency is expected. The monomers are copolymerized with conventional methacrylic acid derivatives for versatile synthesis. In this study, a fluorinated polymer was used to achieve water repellent properties. As fluorinated monomers, TFEMA or HFIMA were copolymerized with n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) by conventional radical polymerization to make poly(TFEMA-co-BMA) (PFB) and poly(HFIMA-co-BMA) (PHFB), respectively. Monomer composition and the molecular weights of PFB and PHFB were characterized by ¹H NMR and GPC. We evaluated the surface functionality by making a self-organized dimple pattern. Spin coating of the polymer solution was carried out on the substrate, and then, the solvent was evaporated under a humid environment. After that, a self-organized dimple pattern was formed. The resulting surface structure was regulated by the concentration of the polymer solution, its composition, and the solvent. The surface morphology was observed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The diameters of the dimples of PFB and PHFB were roughly 0.8 μm and 0.5 μm, respectively. Homogeneous dimpled morphology was observed on the polymer-coated surfaces. The surface hydrophobicity is reported in terms of the surface morphology.