Characterization of plasma-polymerized allyl alcohol polymers and copolymers with styrene

Pulsed plasma was used to initiate chemical copolymerization of allyl alcohol and styrene. In this way the concentration of OH groups at the surface of the copolymer layer could be adjusted from 0 (styrene homopolymerization) to 31 OH groups/100 C atoms (allyl alcohol homopolymerization). The copolymerization kinetics correspond to those of a pure chemical (radical) copolymerization. Thus, the variation of OH group density is only possible in a small range of comonomers ratio, otherwise styrene homopolymerization dominates.