XPS characterisation of plasma treated and zinc oxide coated PET

An interaction scheme between the zinc oxide thin layer and its polymer substrate, in the first stage of deposition, was proposed and checked by corroborating the findings of the different XPS spectra and their decompositions. It suggests the formation of ZnOC complexes at the interface, which are promoted by an electron transfer from zinc to oxygen in oxygenated species, mainly alcohol groups, generated by the CO2 plasma treatment of PET.