Laser-induced photochemical reaction and surface modification of polymers

The latest papers of surface modification of fluoroplastics by laser and the chemical selective and functional modification of polymer surface were reported in this paper. When KrF laser irradiated on the surface of 4-fluoroethylene-6fluoropropylene copolymer (FEP) contacted with sodium n-alkylcarbonate (CnH2n+1CO2Na; n=1-7) aqueous solution, the polymer surface became liophilic. By 104 shot irradiating of 18 mJ/cm2/pulse laser on sodium carbonate with each chain length, FEP surface was alkylated with each chain length used. Methyl ester and 1-naphthylmethyl group were introduced on FEP surface by the above method. When FEP film contacted with the sodium sulfite aqueous solution was irradiated by KrF laser, the sulfonic group was introduced on the FEP film. This sulfonic group showed very strong acidity and catalyzed cationic polymerization of N-vinylcarbazol. (S.Y.)