Initiated chemical vapor deposition of trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane for biomaterial coatings

Organosilicon polymers show great utility as both biocompatible and electrically insulating materials. In this work, thin films of a novel organosilicon polymer are synthesized by initiated chemical vapor deposition utilizing trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane as a monomer and tert-butyl peroxide as a free-radical-generating initiator. Use of an initiator allows for the formation of polymer films at filament temperatures as low as 250 degrees C, significantly lower than those required to thermally polymerize the monomer species. The mild reaction conditions allow for the retention of all siloxane ring moieties within the resulting polymer. Films deposited at filament temperatures of 600 degrees C or higher exhibit damage to this moiety. The all-dry deposition process generates a highly cross-linked matrix material in which over 95% of the vinyl moieties present on the monomer units have been reacted out to form linear polymerized hydrocarbon chains. While each hydrocarbon backbone chain averages 8.9 monomer units in length, as evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, each monomer unit is involved in three independent chains, resulting in polymer films of such high molecular weight that they are completely insoluble. Kinetic analysis of the deposition process indicates that the film formation rate is limited by the adsorption of reactive species to the deposition substrate, with an apparent activation energy of -23.2 kJ/mol with respect to the substrate temperature. These results are consistent with a surface growth mechanism, ideal for the coating of nonuniform or high aspect ratio substrates.