Surface functionalization of cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) with evaporated TiO2 thin film

Cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) is a new class of thermoplastic polymers used for a variety of applications ranging from bio-sensing to optics. However, the hydrophobicity of native COC hampers the further development and application of this material [1]. In this work, we report the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the TiO2/COC hybrid material, which provides a desirable substrate for optical devices and subsequent surface modifications. The TiO2 film on COC substrate was deposited by the evaporation method, and it was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), profilometry and atomic force microscope (AFM). Using an UV-vis spectrophotometer, we found that the transmittance of the TiO2/COC hybrid material in the visible domain reached 80%. The TiO2/COC hybrid appeared to be stable in most of the assessed polar solvents and acid/basic solutions. The new TiO2/COC hybrid material and the robust fabrication method are expected to enable a variety of BioMEMS applications.