Efficient Polymer Functionalization by Means of Extreme Ultraviolet

Abstract Extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation is highly efficient for functionalization of solid materials by means of pronounced radical formation. To prevent collective effects, and study single photon effects, a low‐fluence XUV source with 200 μJ/cm 2 was used to irradiate polymers such as poly‐methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and poly‐tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The unexposed and XUV‐exposed sample domains were analyzed with time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The findings show that XUV photons drive photochemical modification of the surface, fragmentation, and ionization of the desorbed products. Besides a theoretical analysis, the XUV‐induced surface modification of PTFE is discussed a new application for surface functionalization.