posted on 2024-01-30, 23:16authored byHung Quoc Tran, Asad ur Rehman, Philippe Fioux, Aissam Airoudj, Thierry Vandamme, Valeriy Luchnikov
Developing a diffusion barrier layer
on material interfaces has
potential applications in various fields such as in packaging materials,
pharmaceuticals, chemical filtration, microelectronics, and medical
devices. Although numerous physical and chemical methods have been
proposed to generate the diffusion barrier layer, the complexity of
fabrication techniques and the high manufacturing costs limit their
practical utility. Here, we propose an innovative approach to fabricate
the diffusion barrier layer by irradiating poly(dimethylsiloxane)
(PDMS) with a mid-infrared (λ = 10.6 μm) CO2 laser. This process directly creates a diffusion barrier layer on
the PDMS surface by forming a heavily cross-linked network in the
polymer matrix. The optimal irradiation conditions were investigated
by modulating the defocusing distance, laser power, and number of
scanning passes. The barrier thickness can reach up to 70 μm
as observed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The attenuated
total reflectance (ATR), electron dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses collectively confirmed the
formation of the SiOx structure on the
modified surface based on the decreased methyl group signal and the
increased oxygen/silicon ratio. The diffusion test with the model
drugs (rhodamine B and donepezil) demonstrated that the modified surface
exhibits effective diffusion barrier properties and the rate of drug
diffusion through the modified barrier layer can be controlled by
the optimization of the irradiation parameters. This novel approach
provides the possibility to develop a controllable diffusion barrier
layer in a biocompatible polymer with prospective applications in
the fields of pharmaceuticals, packing materials, and medical devices.