Improved Surface Properties of Copper/Polymethyl Methacrylate Nanocomposite Films Using DC O2 Plasma

Films of Polymethylmethacrylate with copper nanofiller were prepared and treated with low temperature oxygen DC glow discharge plasma. FTIR spectroscopy, AFM, water contact angle (WCA) measurements and UV-Vis spectroscopy were used to detect the produced chemical, morphological and optical changes as a function of plasma treatment time. The FTIR spectra, showed a decreasing value of the main characterizing signals of the composite films in addition to the creation of an oxygen containing functional group. The surface morphology of the treated samples was altered according to the increased values of the average surface roughness, obtained from the AFM images. The WCA also, decreased noticeably with increasing treatment time. The UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis showed a decreasing value of the optical absorption in the wave length range 190-270 nm which is an indication to the loss of carbonyl group. The value of direct and indirect optical band gap decreased with treatment time meanwhile, values of the band tail width were significantly increased.