SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NANOSTRUCTURED POLY(P-XYLYLENE) FILMS
Open Access
- Author:
- Cetinkaya, Murat
- Graduate Program:
- Engineering Science and Mechanics
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 07, 2008
- Committee Members:
- Melik C Demirel, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Arthur Mallay Lesk, Committee Member
Ivica Smid, Committee Member
Jorge Osvaldo Sofo, Committee Member - Keywords:
- PPX
polymer
paracyclophane
nanotechnology
materials
modeling
scaling - Abstract:
- Nanostructured polymeric films are deposited with oblique angle polymerization of poly-p-xylylene (PPX) derivatives. Surface and bulk characterization of nanostructured PPX films are performed with experimental methods. These films are composed of spatially aligned, free standing, high aspect ratio (>100:1) nanowires with ~150 nm diameter and various morphologies. Nanostructured PPX morphology is quasi-periodic, has very high surface area (100-400 times substrate area), and show high uniformity in material properties. Columnar growth in nanostructured PPX films obeys a power-law scaling mechanism. Characteristic values for scaling parameters indicate that high surface diffusion and high flux of incoming vapor molecules are the major factors affecting columnar growth in nanostructured PPX films. Nanostructured PPX films are simulated with a two dimensional Monte Carlo model. Simulation results emphasize the significance of polymerization among deposited particles. Computed values of the power-law scaling parameters are in good agreement with the experimental results for nanostructured PPX films. This study aimed to provide an understanding of ways to control the growth of nanostructured polymers deposited with vapor phase polymerization. Nanostructured PPX films are versatile platforms for developing inexpensive, high throughput manufacturing techniques to create a new generation of antifouling materials for naval and biomedical applications.