Surface and Interfacial Aspects of Biomedical Polymers

This book is intended to provide a fundamental basis for the study of the interaction of polymers with living systems, biochemicals, and with aqueous solutions. The surface chemistry and physics of polymeric materials is a subject not normally covered to any significant extent in classical surface chemistry textbooks. Many of the assumptions of classical surface chemistry are invalid when applied to polymer surfaces. Surface properties of polymers are important in the development of medical devices and diagnostic products. Surface properties are also of vital importance in fields such as adhesion, paints and coatings, polymer-filler interactions, heterogeneous catalysis, composites, and polymers for energy generation. The book begins with a chapter considering the current sources of information on polymer surface chemistry and physics. It moves on to consider the question of the dynamics of polymer surfaces and the implica tions of polymer surface dynamics on all subsequent characterization and interfacial studies. Two chapters are directed toward the question of model polymers for preparing model surfaces and interfaces. Complete treatments of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy are given. There is a detailed treatment of the contact angle with particular emphasis on contact angle hysteresis in aqueous systems, followed by chapters on interfacial electrochemistry and interface acid-base charge-transfer properties. The very difficult problem of block and graft copolymer surfaces is also discussed. The problem of theoretical calculations of surface and interfacial tensions is presented. Raman spectroscopy is considered as an analytical technique for polymer surface characterization.