Surface Modification of PET Films by Vapor-Phase Photografting Acrylic Acid and its Application to Electroless Copper Plating

As a simple and useful approach, vapor-phase photografting acrylic acid was used to modify the surface of PET films. Catalyst of silver nanoparticles was distributed on the photografting PET films equably after reducing by ascorbic acid. Topography of the pristine, grafting and metallized PET films was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). XRD and FTIR-ATR were also used to analyze the electroless plating copper layer and the grafting PET film respectively.