An important number of surface structuration methods allows for regular, periodic and uniform structures on metallic surfaces that consequently show a certain anisotropy. However, for purposes such as medical implants, random surface structures equivalent to the size of the cells (a few µm) promote their adsorption on the implant and therefore the integration of the implant in the human body. This abstract presents an isotropic and inexpensive structuration method for metallic surfaces of any geometry.

A polished sample of stainless steal is heated up to 200°C at ambient pressure. The piece then cools down under vacuum conditions (10^-5 bar) to avoid the generation of a water vapour layer and is then coated with gold. The sample is then placed in a 50%:50% 11-mercaptoundecanol & 1-dodecantiol solution for 20 hours. The stoechiometry of these two solutions allows for regulating the surface energy. The sample is dip coated under controlled 33% humidity at 1mm/sec in a 50%:50% solution of PMMA and P2VP. These non-miscible polymers show a phase separation that depends on the surface energy of the substrate. Their phase separation leads to a random formation of P2VP isles with a mean size of several micrometers. Rinsing with ethanol removes the P2VP isles, and a treatment with potassium iodide dissolves the underlying gold layer and thiols. The remaining porous polymer structure serves as a mask for surface etching.

For this issue two alternative methods were employed, chemical etching with concentrated HCL and electrochemical etching in a buffered NaCl bath applying repeated short current pulses.

This combined dip-coating and etching method has shown to generate micrometer sized isotropic structures on stainless steal pieces of different geometries. In future work this technique will be adapted to industrial applications in the biomedical sector.

• Legal notice:
  

  Copyright (c) Pielaszek Research, all rights reserved.
  The above materials, including auxiliary resources, are subject to Publisher's copyright and the Author(s) intellectual rights. Without limiting Author(s) rights under respective Copyright Transfer Agreement, no part of the above documents may be reproduced without the express written permission of Pielaszek Research, the Publisher. Express permission from the Author(s) is required to use the above materials for academic purposes, such as lectures or scientific presentations.
  In every case, proper references including Author(s) name(s) and URL of this webpage: https://science24.com/paper/11165 must be provided.

1. New applications for interference microscopy
2. Local Dynamic Mechanical Analysis
3. Dynamic Nanoindentation Spectroscopy and Microscopy on thin polymer films