Initiated chemical vapor deposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone-based thin films

Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is used for the first time to deposit a non-acrylic carbon-based polymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). PVP is known for its hydrophilicity and biocompatibility, and its thin films have found many applications in the biomedical community, one of which is as antibiofouling surfaces. From vapors of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP) and tert-butyl peroxide (TBPO), iCVD produces PVP thin films that are spectroscopically identical to bulk PVP without using any solvents. iCVD works by selectively fragmenting gaseous TBPO with heat to create radicals for initiation of polymerization. This selectivity ensures that the monomer VP does not disintegrate to form species that do not conform to the structure of PVP. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show full retention of the hydrophilic pyrrolidone functional group. Number-average molecular weights range between 6570 and 10,200 g/mol. The addition of ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA) vapor to the reaction mixture creates a cross-linked copolymer between VP and EGDA. Films with different degrees of cross-linking can be made depending on the partial pressures of the species. Methods for quantifying the relative incorporation of VP and EGDA using FTIR and XPS are introduced. The film with the lowest degree of cross-linking has a wetting angle of 11°, affirming its high hydrophilicity and iCVD's ability to retain functionality.