Plasma-assisted polymerization of maleic anhydride has been investigated under different experimental conditions. Significant variations in the film chemical structure and the film properties were obtained using pulsed plasma depositions operated at different duty cycles. The film chemical structures were obtained using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR). Surface derivatization reactions using decylamine and benzylamine were used to demonstrate their surface reactivity toward nucleophilic moieties and to change the surface free energy of the plasma polymer films, all of which are of particular interest for future applications in the attachment of biological molecules and cells. A method of substrate pretreatment was developed to ensure reliable binding between the substrate and the plasma polymer film in aqueous solution. Impedance spectroscopy was used to monitor polymer film changes in aqueous media. The hydrated films showed some resemblance to polyelectrolyte films and a clear correlation could be observed between the density of anhydride groups and the behavior of the films in solution.

Significant improvements in the hydrogen desorption/absorption properties of the Li-Mg-N-H system have been achieved by adding a small amount of LiBH 4 . The onset as well as the peak temperatures of hydrogen desorption shift to lower temperatures. Five wt % of hydrogen can be fully desorbed at 140°C and reabsorbed at 100°C. The kinetics of hydrogen desorption as well as absorption were found to be 3 times as fast as the pristine system. Thermodynamic analyses show that the temperature for equilibrium desorption pressure at 1 bar was 70°C, which is about 20°C lower than the pristine system. The enhancement in the hydrogen sorption properties was attributed to the weakening of N-H bonding in the metal amide molecules.

A wet incipient impregnation procedure was developed to infiltrate Mg(BH4)2 into the voids of pre-treated activated carbon with a pore diameter of < 2 nm. The thermal data of the composite material showed a strong broadening of the signals. The peak decomposition temperature was shifted to lower values by the infiltration. A Kissinger analysis of bulk Mg(BH4)2 and the nanocomposite revealed a high activation barrier for the first step of the dehydrogenation of the bulk material, which was lowered by a factor of two for the nanoconfined hydride.

Pulsed plasma polymerization has been used to deposit thin polymer films from maleic anhydride. By variations of the duty cycle (t on/(t on + t off)) employed during the plasma treatment, it has been possible to achieve a high retention of the anhydride groups within the film. Hydration of the anhydride groups in water created a carboxylic acid functionalized film, which was used to support a negatively charged DMPG lipid bilayer using Ca2+ as a chelating agent. The capacitance and resistance of adsorbed DMPG on three films prepared at different plasma duty cycles could be correlated with the relative amount of anhydride groups present in the plasma polymer films.