Surface modification of low-density polyethylene with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) using a low-pressure plasma treatment

• LDPE surface was modified by two different poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazolines) (PETOX).
• The LDPE surface was activated using a low-temperature plasma.
• The XPS study confirmed the presence of PETOX attached permanently to the LDPE.
• The polar character of PETOX caused an increase in the LDPE surface free energy.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a suitable polymer for biomedical applications due to its good physiochemical properties, but its insufficient biocompatibility is often an issue. Therefore, biocompatible substances such as those based on 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline seem to be a good choice to increase the LDPE biocompatibility. In this work, the surface modification of LDPE with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) with two different end-groups was investigated. This modification led to the improvement of surface and adhesion properties, which were investigated by several analytical methods. The low-temperature plasma treatment of the LDPE surface was sufficient to create binding sites for the permanent attachment of poly(2ethyl-2-oxazoline) chains. This was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the polymer containing the acrylic end-group was well attached to the LDPE surface.