We described ripple and dot patterning of three different aromatic polymer substrates by KrF excimer laser treatment. The conditions for regular structures were established due to laser fluence and number of pulses and subsequently was investigated the influence of the angle of incidence of the laser beam. We have chosen polyethersulphone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as substrates for modification, which are thermally, chemically and mechanically resistant aromatic polymers with high absorption coefficient at excimer laser wavelength. Surface properties of nanostructures polymers were studied with atomic force microscopy (AFM). As a complementary technique for surface analysis the scanning electron microscopy in combination with focused ion beam (FIB) was used. For wettability investigation we used contact angle measurement and for the determination of absorption edge the UV-vis spectroscopy was used. Chemistry of surface was analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and zeta potential measurement. The scans showed the formation of regular periodic structures, ripples and dots, after treatment by 8 and 16 mJ cm−2 and 6000 pulses. Selected samples were used as a substrates for osteoblasts cell growth, the influence of morphology and surface chemistry on cell growth was confirmed. The structure formation mapping contributes strongly to development of new applications using nanostructured polymers, e.g. in tissue engineering or in combination with metallization in selected electronics and metamaterials construction.
This work was supported by the GACR under project 13-06609S and by the Ministry of Health of CR under project 15-32497A.