Activation of Polylactic Acid Surface by Glow Discharge Low-Temperature Plasma in Ar/Air Gas Mixture Flows with the Addition of Diethylamine Vapor

The surface physicochemical properties of materials-based on polylactic acid modified by flows of low-temperature glow discharge plasma were studied. A mixture of argon and air acted as a plasma-forming gas, and diethylamine vapor was injected into the plasma as a precursor of amino groups. The elemental composition and chemical state of the surface were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The attachment of nitrogen atoms to the polylactic acid surface and the formation of a bond between the surface carbon and the penetrated nitrogen have been established. It was shown that the hydrophilicity of the plasma modified polylactic acid surface was significantly increased. The obtained polylactic acid-based materials with the argon/air/diethylamine plasma modified surface may have prospects for use in biomedicine due to improved hydrophilicity and the presence of reactive oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups on the surface.