Laser Ablative Structural Modification of Poly(ethylene-<i>a</i><i>lt</i>-maleic anhydride)

Abstract

Pulsed IR laser ablation of poly(ethylene- alt -maleic anhydride) results in the deposition of polymeric films possessing the same ratio of anhydride and −CH 2 − groups and represents a very rare example of laser ablative deposition of polymeric films that are structurally identical to the ablated polymer. This process differs from the conventional thermolysis of poly(ethylene- alt -maleic anhydride) that is controlled by expulsion of CO 2 and CO and yields a nonpolar polymeric residue. The IR laser ablation of poly(ethylene- alt -maleic anhydride) in sodium metasilicate affords deposition of polymeric films containing carboxylate (−CO 2 - ) groups. This process is the first example of reactive ablation in which the deposited polymeric film incorporates constituents of two different species exposed to laser radiation.