Hydrophilic Surface Modification of Amorphous Hydrogenated Carbon Nanocomposite Films via Atmospheric Oxygen Plasma Treatment

Herein we investigated hydrophilic surface modification of SiO(x) containing amorphous hydrogenated carbon nanocomposite films (DLC:SiO(x)) via the use of atmospheric oxygen plasma treatment. The modified films exhibited effective hydrophilic properties with complete surface wetting. More detailed water droplet contact angle (CA) measurements revealed that oxygen plasma treated DLC:SiO(x) films maintained good wetting properties with CA of up to 28 ± 1° after 20 days of aging in ambient air at room temperature. This treatment process also increased surface root mean square roughness from 0.27 nm to 1.26 nm. Analysis of the surface chemical states suggested that the hydrophilic behavior of DLC:SiO(x) treated with oxygen plasma is attributed to surface enrichment with C–O–C, SiO(2), and Si–Si chemical bonds as well as significant removal of hydrophobic Si–CH(x) functional groups. The latter functional groups are prone to restoration and are mainly responsible for the increase in CA with aging. Possible applications of the modified DLC:SiO(x) nanocomposite films could include biocompatible coatings for biomedical applications, antifogging coatings for optical components, and protective coatings to prevent against corrosion and wear.