AbstractElectron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) was used to study the surface composition of several radiation‐grafted polymers in both the dry and hydrated (frozen at 160°K) states. Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (HEMA) and polyacrylamide, both hydrophilic polymers, were readily detected in the hydrated or dehydrated states when grafted to polyethylene substrates. For silicone rubber substrates, both grafts were observed on the hydrated surface but were significantly decreased in surface concentration upon dehydration. For grafts on a polyester‐urethane, acrylamide was not a major constituent of either the dry or hydrated surface, while HEMA appeared to increase in abundance upon drying. The amount of the hydrophobic poly(ethyl methacrylate) found on the graft surface depended upon the substrate polymer used, but the surface abundance of poly(ethyl methacrylate) was not affected by drying. These results were considered in terms of polar group orientation, polymer chain mobility, substrate permeability, and the limitations of the ESCA technique. The implications of these results with respect to the use of radiation‐grafted hydrophilic polymers for biomedical applications are also d
展开▼
