Sustained hydrophilicity of plasma-treated PDMS surfaces by water immersion

Abstract

We demonstrate surface treatment of PDMS by direct current (dc) magnetron Argon plasma to examine the effects of plasma exposure and water immersion on the surface properties of PDMS. Results of contact angle measurements and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy show that plasma treatment led to significant hydrophilicity on the PDMS surface. Water-immersed plasma treated samples were found to sustain a more hydrophilic surface compared to air-stored samples despite having longer aging time. The study proved water to be an effective hydrophobic recovery retardant for plasma-treated PDMS surfaces.