PLASMA POLYMERIZATION. IX. A SYSTEMATIC INVESTIGATION OF MATERIALS SYNTHESIZED IN INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMAS EXCITED IN PERFLUOROPYRIDINE.

The RF plasma polymerization of perfluoropyridine was investigated for a range of operating parameters. The stoichiometries of the resulting thin films indicated a predominance of rearrangement mechanisms in their formation in which both nitrogen and fluorine were retained at approximately the same levels as in the starting monomer. In appropriate cases a comparison was drawn with plasma polymers produced under comparable conditions from perfluoro and pentafluorobenzenes. Although the plasma polymer films from the benzenes have a low critical surface tension, that for the pyridine system changes with time, and the surface becomes completely wettable with water. This is attributed to surface hydrolysis of the plasma polymer films produced from perfluoropyridine.