[Analysis Case] Analysis of Surface Functional Groups of Polymer Materials 1 (Chemical Modification - XPS)

This article presents a case where specific functional groups were chemically modified, and a relative comparison of surface functional groups (hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups) between samples was conducted using introduced marker elements.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to understand the chemical states of elements on the surface of polymer materials, but it is difficult to directly quantify functional groups on the material surface. Therefore, we introduce a case where specific functional groups were chemically modified with reagents containing heteroatoms suitable for XPS analysis, and the surface functional groups (hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups) were evaluated from the introduced marker elements. [Analysis Samples] Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylic acid (PAA) [Analysis Method] XPS; monochromatic Al Kα radiation (ULVAC-PHI model PHI5000 VersaProbe II) [Analysis Results] 1. Evaluation of hydroxyl groups: We introduce an example of the modification of hydroxyl groups in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (saponification degree: approximately 80%) using trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA). 2. Evaluation of carboxyl groups: We introduce an example of the modification of carboxyl groups in polyacrylic acid (PAA) using trifluoroethanol (TFE). By applying the chemical modification-XPS method to optical polymer films and orientation films for liquid crystal displays, it becomes possible to understand the correlation with physical properties through relative comparisons of surface functional groups between samples.

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