ABSTRACT
For the designed optimization of the performance of polymers in many modern applications, the ability to fabricate specific surface compositions tailored to the particular application has become an important consideration. Plasma polymerization creates a polymeric layer directly from vapour phase material; coating thickness can be controlled easily and on-line. Plasma techniques are applicable to all polymers and especially useful for surface modification of polymers that are difficult to treat by conventional chemical methods, such as fluorocarbons. Plasma polymer coatings characteristically have a random structure built up from a variety of chemical entities derived from the organic vapour. Surface modification techniques have attracted increasing interest for the fabrication of specialty polymers from commodity bulk polymers. Proteins consist of polar and non-polar segments and, like polymers, can reorient their structure in response to forces that act on the constituent atoms.
