Macromolecular Chain Structures of Atactic Poly(methyl methacrylate) Visualized on Hydrophilized Graphene Surfaces by Atomic Force Microscopy

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Surface treatment of cleaved graphene surfaces with UV/ozone exposure, O2 reactive ion etching, and Ar ion milling was studied by contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cleaved graphene surfaces were super-hydrophilized to reveal a static contact angle of <5° for water by the physical bombardment and chemical oxidation of oxygen-reactive ions in the plasma phase. The surface oxidization enabled the visualization of isolated atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) chains that were spin-cast onto the hydrophilic graphene surfaces by AFM. The physical bombardment and chemical oxidation of oxygen reactive ions in the plasma phase caused the hydrophilization of cleaved graphene surfaces with a static contact angle of <5° for water. The surface oxidation enabled the visualization of isolated atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) chains spin-cast onto hydrophilized graphene surfaces owing to increased intermolecular interactions.