Characterization of Different Carbon Nanomaterials Promising for Biomedical and Sensor Applications by the Wetting Method

• Published in: Powder metallurgy and metal ceramics Vol. 42; no. 1-2; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Author: Ostrovskaya, Lidiya Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Nature B.V 01.01.2003
• Subjects: Buckminsterfullerene; Carbon; Contact angle; Fullerenes; Roughness; Sensors; Wettability; Wetting
• ISSN: 1068-1302; 1573-9066
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1023978613302

Using the methods of wetting (sessile drop), AFM, and Raman spectroscopy, we studied the surface properties of fullerene and metal-fullerene films as well as nanostructured cluster-assembled carbon films produced by supersonic cluster beam deposition. These materials exhibit unique features due to their structure and are new promising materials for biomedical and sensor applications. The wettability of the carbon films with liquids of different polarities (water, glycerin) was investigated by measuring the contact angle under normal conditions as a function of the surface morphology and roughness as well as the concentration of doping metals (Ti, Al, Cu, Sn) in Me -- C^sub 60^ films. Based on the contact angle measurements the surface energy of these films has been estimated by Fowke's method. It is shown that contact angle measurements (wettability) allow one to obtain information on the properties of a carbon film surface (integrity, uniformity, roughness, presence of impurities in the surface layer, and reactivity). The wettability can be exploited for surface engineering control in the application of nanostructured coatings in medicine, electrochemistry, electronics, and tribology.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]