Confocal Raman microscopy for the depth profiling of polymer/polymer and polymer/glass interfaces

Confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) has recently developed into a routine tool for the depth profiling of polymeric materials, providing microscopic (molecular) level characterisation of surfaces and interfaces. A spatial resolution of 1 - 2 mum is easily attainable with modern instrumentation. The use of such an instrument is illustrated by describing recent work from the author's laboratory. 1 The distribution and redistribution of small molecules in polymeric materials. 2 The measurement of concentration gradients at a polymer-polymer interface. 3 The probing of a diffusion of a silane primer to a polymer/glass interface. 4 The quantification of the surface selectivity of chemical treatments for modification of polymer surface properties. It is demonstrated that the technique has tremendous potential as a tool for future materials analysis across a broad area.