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The article discusses the transition temperature microscopy (TTM), a local thermal analysis technique which explores spatial variations in thermal properties. The technique has the capacity to heat and test very small regions of a sample surface which is significant in coating defect analysis and reinforced composite in-situ characterization. It also combines the benefits of microscopy and nanoscale thermal probe technology.

Abstract: The effects of thin film nucleation and initial growth on roughness, chemistry and thermomechanical properties of polymer film surfaces were studied. Al2O3 was deposited onto commercial biaxially oriented polypropylene and polylactic acid films at 80°C by using atomic layer deposition technique. Both substrates, especially the more hydrophobic polypropylene, showed initial growth through Al2O3 clusters. There was a faster deposition of Al2O3 on polylactic acid film than on polypropylene at the early stages of the Al2O3 deposition. There were also indications of chemical interactions between polylactic acid and trimethyl aluminum used as a precursor for Al2O3. Changes in the thermo-mechanical properties of the polymer surfaces with Al2O3 also evidenced the differences between the substrate polymer films. The near surface interphase formed in polylactic acid probably contributed to the strong increase and scattering in the softening temperature during the early thin film growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Surface chemistry plays an important role in the adsorption and immobilization of enzymes and antibodies. Gas plasma technology performs surface preparation that assists in the attachment of molecules. Surface chemistry helps to manage a material's wetting, joining, or the reproducibility of surface interactions. There are numerous examples of commerically available products that utilize gas plasma in their manufacturing process. Examples of products treated by gas plasma are well plates, microfluidic devices, membranes, fluid dispensers, and some medical devices. This chapter presents an overview of gas plasma technology and provides a guide for using gas plasma for designing surfaces in product development or research., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Biological systems respond to and interact with surfaces. Gas plasma provides a scalable surface treatment method for designing interactive surfaces. There are many commercial examples of plasma-modified products. These include well plates, filtration membranes, dispensing tools, and medical devices. This chapter presents an overview of gas plasma technology and provides a guide to using gas plasma for modifying surfaces for research or product development.