Deposition of Biodegradable Polycaprolactone Coatings Using an In‐line Atmospheric Pressure Plasma System

Abstract

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable and bioresorbable polymer with applications ranging from use in packaging to medical sutures. In this study, the use of an atmospheric pressure plasma to deposit plasma polymerised PCL (P‐PCL) coatings from a PCL diol precursor is evaluated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated the retention of PCL functional groups in the deposited coating. Changes in coating surface energy were monitored with time after deposition using the contact angle technique. The rate of degradation of 500 nm thick P‐PCL coatings was assessed after immersion in a phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) solution at 37 °C. It was observed that slower rates of P‐PCL coating degradation were obtained for coatings deposited at higher applied powers and lower precursor flow rates.

Atmospheric Pressure Low Temperature Direct Plasma Technology: Status and Challenges for Thin Film Deposition

“…First, Badyal and co‐workers4, 95 developed a polymerization process at atmospheric pressure in which a He GDBD was combined with the aerosol of a liquid precursor injected through an ultrasonic mozzle integrated in the ground electrode of the discharge cell; afterwards several groups reported the employment of aerosol for the deposition of functional coating 3, 95–103. Utilizing acrylic acid as precursor, Badyal and co‐workers95 demonstrated the possibility of obtaining a high retention of the precursor carboxylic acid group in the coatings.…”

“…In the discharge, polymerization of the added organic coating precursor takes place and consequently, the enzyme molecules become trapped in the growing polymer network. When solutions or dispersions are injected in the plasma. For instance, Tynan et al102 deposited a plasma polymerized polycaprolactone (PCL) film nebulizing a solution of a PCL diol in chloroform, while Bardon et al103 reported the deposition of a nanocomposite coating in which aluminum–cerium oxide nanoparticles are incorporated in a silicone‐like matrix coating by injecting in a parallel plate DBD dispersions of the nanoparticles in the liquid organosilicon precursor (HMDSO).…”

A Methacrylic Anhydride Difunctional Precursor to Produce a Hydrolysis-Sensitive Coating by Aerosol-Assisted Atmospheric Plasma Process

“…On the other hand, the use of atmospheric pressure plasma for surface engineering has gained a lot of attention these last decades as new attractive tool for surface modification thanks to the absence of harmful solvents, potential fast deposition rates, and easy in use . More recently the combination of an atmospheric pressure plasma reactor with a liquid delivery system of the precursor has brought new perspectives for the elaboration of “smart” coating (i.e., stimuli responsive) by controlling the retention of chemical functions of interest . Furthermore, the use of acrylate‐containing molecules was shown to be of promising interest in order to (a) fully control the final macroscopic desired properties and (b) avoid the extensive fragmentation of the precursor.…”

Experimental Study of the Plasma Polymerization of Ethyl Lactate

“…[22] The implementation of gas barrier coatings on polymer substrates has extensively been studied for many years. [23][24][25] The most often cited coating materials are metals (Al, Mg, K, Cr, Cu. .…”