Nano Express
A novel method for biopolymer surface nanostructuring by platinum deposition and subsequent thermal annealing
Author affiliations
1 Department of Solid State Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, 166 28, Czech Republic
2 Faculty of Science, J.E. Purkyně University, Ústí nad Labem, 400 96, Czech Republic
3 Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Řež, 250 68, Czech Republic
Citation and License
Nanoscale Research Letters 2012, 7:671 doi:10.1186/1556-276X-7-671
Published: 12 December 2012Abstract
A novel procedure for biopolymer surface nanostructuring with defined surface roughness and pattern dimension is presented. The surface properties of sputtered platinum layers on the biocompatible polymer poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) are presented. The influence of thermal treatment on surface morphology and electrical resistance and Pt distribution in ca. 100 nm of altered surface is described. The thickness, roughness and morphology of Pt structures were determined by atomic force microscopy. Surface sheet resistance was studied by a two-point technique. It was the sequence of Pt layer sputtering followed by thermal treatment that dramatically changed the structure of the PLLA’s surface. Depending on the Pt thickness, the ripple-like and worm-like patterns appeared on the surface for thinner and thicker Pt layers, respectively. Electrokinetic analysis confirmed the Pt coverage of PLLA and the slightly different behaviour of non-annealed and annealed surfaces. The amount and distribution of platinum on the PLLA is significantly altered by thermal annealing.
