All-dry synthesis of poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate) nanocoatings using initiated chemical vapor deposition method

In this study, Poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate) (PEHA) thin films were deposited on different substrates by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) technique. Being a long alkyl chain acrylate with a suitably low glass transition temperature, PEHA is an important member of acrylates family, which is used extensively in adhesives, paints, and coating applications. In iCVD, use of the tert-butyl peroxide as an initiator allowed a deposition rate of 155 nm/min at a filament temperature of 280 degrees C. Precursor flow ratios, filament and substrate temperatures were found to be important parameters that effect the deposition rates. The negative relation between substrate temperature and deposition rates implied an adsorption limited kinetics. FTIR and XPS analyses of the deposited films confirmed that the chemical functionality of the EHA monomer preserved well after iCVD. It was also revealed that the as-deposited films are smooth, uniform and optically transparent. PEHA film deposited by iCVD on glass improved the optical transmittance of glass, by acting as an anti-reflection coating due to its suitable refractive index of 1.45.