Surface modification of the polyethyleneimine layer on silicone oxide film via UV radiation

We herein report a novel method of employing 254 nm of UV radiation (UV) for the modification of a polyethyleneimine (PEI) layer on silicone oxide film. In this study, a PEI layer composed of a 50 mM sodium carbonate solution (pH 8.2) was formed on the surface of a silicone oxide film with spontaneous adsorption. Then, thin film of PEI was patterned by UV radiation. To determine the effect of the UV radiation, fluorescence microscopy, X-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses were performed. These results indicated that UV radiation could cause changes in the surface characteristics of the PEI layer. Subsequently, FT-IR analysis showed changes in the chemical composition of the PEI exposed to UV radiation, such as the disappearance of the amine. Based on these results, we can conclude that UV radiation could be used to eliminate the amine group selectively and that this technique could be applied to create a pattern on the surface of a PEI layer.